Bauxite mining
About 7% of the earth's crust is aluminum, making it the third most abundant element after oxygen and silicon. Aluminum production begins with bauxite raw materials.
Bauxite is mainly distributed in the tropics, in the horizontal layer, usually below a few metres of overlying strata. The layer is usually mixed with a variety of clay minerals, iron oxides and titanium dioxide. This is the bauxite containing iron, which leads to a deep red color.
What's the bauxite number?
Bauxite reserves of about 290 tons. At present mining speed, these reserves will last for more than 100 years.
When we include bauxite resources that are not found, this figure is estimated at 550 - 750 tons.
This extends the expected time to 250-340 years.
Millions of tons of bauxite are mined every year
Other aluminium ores
In the future, the aluminum industry is also preparing to use other minerals other than bauxite. Research and development processes aimed at extracting from other minerals are ongoing, and in the future we envision using more recycled metals from buildings, for example.
Output of the world's bauxite (right) and reserves (left)
How do we get bauxite from the mine?
Bauxite is usually covered by rocks and dirt within a few meters of the overlying strata, which must be removed before the bauxite is withdrawn. The bauxite is then carried to a factory, broken and cleaned, and eventually transported to a processing plant.
These clays are usually deposited in tailings ponds. After use, these tailings ponds re use native species to reconstruct natural vegetation.
How much does bauxite mining affect the environment?
Because the bauxite is located near the ground surface, mining destroys the surface.
Every year, the world uses new land because of bauxite mining, covering an area of 40-50 square kilometers.
However, in one area where the mining operation has been completed, it is usually planted by native species of artificial vegetation.
Environmental problems caused by bauxite mining
Change landscape and impact on biodiversity, vegetation removal and reconstruction
Control soil erosion and release of mines - when rocks and soils are removed, the landscape is affected
Hydrologic disturbance - water movement, mass, and distribution
Waste disposal
Dust and noise caused by mining operations and transportation
When opening new areas, this can provide illegal logging, hunting, etc..
On average, one square meter of land is mined (including roads and infrastructure) in order to produce a ton of aluminum metal.
What should we do?
Most bauxite mining companies are involved in voluntary improvement projects, for example, involving land rehabilitation.
Survey shows that 2002-2006 years period, the land rehabilitation area equal to the land was mined area. Mines included in the survey include 66% of the world's bauxite production.
Mining in tropical forests
The healthy ecosystem, which protects the change of life form, is one of the biggest environmental problems in the world.
Tropical forests are the most threatening areas.
The aluminum industry has a small impact on environmental damage:
Global rainforest destruction rate = 80000 km2 per year.
In tropical forests, bauxite mining resulted in 40-50 square kilometres of land being mined in 20%.
These 8 km2 = 0.01% of the annual loss of tropical forests, and other destruction due to other causes.
Considering the rehabilitation project, our goal is to have a net loss without forests, then the impact of bauxite mining on ecology is even smaller. Most tropical forests have been affected prior to the start of bauxite mining.