4th
largest global producer
of zircon
5th
largest global producer
of high-grade titanium raw materials
(rutile, leucoxene, ilmenite)
883 Kt
of mineral sand concentrates produced in Senegal in 2024
Increased production
thanks to major investments in industrial facilities at Eramet Grande Côte (dry process unit)
IRMA audit
in 2023 / 24
What are mineral sands used for?
Building and decoration
Mineral sands (rutile, leucoxene, ilmenite) are mainly used in the building and construction industries.
The titanium dioxide (TiO2) contained in these sands is a compound used primarily to produce white pigments, widely used in paints, plastics, papers and inks. Products with a higher TiO2 content are used in the manufacture of titanium metal, as well as in the welding flux industry.
Ceramics and abrasives
Rich in zirconium, an electrically conductive transition metal, zircon is widely used in the ceramics industry and for many other applications, such as abrasive materials, nuclear power (zirconium metal) and dental prostheses.
Our mining activity
In Senegal, Eramet processes mineral sands through its subsidiary Eramet Grande Côte and sells ilmenite, rutile, leucoxene and zircon. These four materials are extracted in a mobile mine located north of Dakar, along the Atlantic coast, before being processed in two sand concentration and separation plants.
Eramet Grande Côte: the mineral sand specialist
Eramet Grande Côte: the mineral sand specialist
Eramet Grande Côte, a world-class industrial complex:
- The world’s largest dredge (7,000 m3/hour) is connected to a plant floating on an artificial pond measuring 600 metres by 300 metres,
- This plant concentrates mineral sands, while ordinary sand is discharged at the back of the plant to backfill the mine pit,
- The resulting concentrate (MHP) is transported to a nearby plant where the minerals are separated out: ilmenite, rutile, leucoxene and zircon are produced in the form of sands,
- To optimize resource recovery, Eramet Grande Côte has invested in a mobile mineral sand recovery unit positioned outside the dredge’s path,
- In order to further decarbonize its products, Eramet Grande Côte is investing in a hybrid solar power plant with integrated energy storage.
Eramet Grande Côte represents both a genuine technological and human challenge, involving the transmission of skills and the development of local expertise. It is also a major social undertaking as it involves rehabilitating the dunes after the extraction of the resource, and relocating displaced hamlets and villages.
Our products
Eramet Grande Côte makes Eramet a major player in the mineral sand industry, offering a complete range of products.
Zircon
Zircon
Thanks to its unique characteristics of strength and durability, whiteness, opacity and luster, zircon from Eramet Grande Côte can be used in traditional applications such as ceramic tiles, refractory materials and abrasives. Thanks to its ability to withstand very high temperatures, it is also often used in the manufacture of industrial molds and refractory bricks for steel and glass production. Zircon is also used in numerous technological applications, from nuclear power to automotive catalysts, a fast-growing market.
Eramet Grande Côte produces two grades of zircon: premium and standard.
Titanium dioxide
Titanium dioxide
Opacity and reflectivity: two exceptional properties of titanium dioxide (TiO2) that are widely used in paints, plastics, paper and textiles. Eramet offers a complete range of titanium raw materials.
- Ilmenite, the primary titanium raw material produced by Eramet Grande Côte, contains between 45% and 60% titanium dioxide and can be used directly in the production of pigments using either the sulfate or chloride processes. Eramet Grande Côte produces two grades of ilmenite: ilmenite 54 (with 54% titanium dioxide) and ilmenite 58 (58% titanium dioxide). A product derived from the recycling of mine tailings, ilmenite 56, has also been produced since 2018.
- Rutile, the rarest titanium-bearing raw material, contains between 92% and 96% titanium dioxide. This high TiO2 content makes it ideal for pigment manufacture, as well as niche markets (titanium metal, electric arc welding, medical, automotive).
- Leucoxene contains slightly less titanium dioxide than rutile, and is used in the same sectors.
In Senegal, controlling impacts and making a contribution
Right from the outset, Eramet Grande Côte set itself the ambition of being an exemplary and responsible global player in the mineral sands recovery industry, a commitment shared with the communities surrounding its operations and the authorities. Thus, since its start-up in 2014, the mining and industrial project has met the highest standards in terms of social, societal and environmental responsibility.
Eramet Grande Côte is ISO 14 001 and ISO 50 001 certified, and is preparing for IRMA (Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance) certification, the most demanding international standard for assessing the social and environmental performance of operating mines.
Constant dialogue with communities
Constant dialogue with communities
Guided by Eramet’s Human Rights policy, Eramet Grande Côte has established direct, ongoing contact with local communities and authorities, which has helped structure expectations of the industrial project. A complaints management mechanism is in place.
Dialogue is also developed in multi-party commissions that include representatives of the communities, regional elected representatives, the State and the company.
Housing relocation
Housing relocation
The itinerant nature of Eramet Grande Côte’s operations on the concession granted by the Senegalese government means that the mine occasionally comes into contact with homes and economic activities. A resettlement plan has thus been put in place, overseen by the prefect of the region concerned, and including representatives of the people affected.
Since 2016, Eramet Grande Côte’s social and community relations team has been assisting residents to relocate to new villages created in consultation with communities and authorities. Every aspect of the resettlement (site selection, layout of the new village, its housing and shared infrastructure) is discussed in this public forum, as are the accompanying measures designed to improve income levels: provision of replacement farmland and creation of Economic Interest Groups (EIGs).
- 24 EIGs created, involving 1,400 community members
- 415 work together with Eramet Grande Côte
- 6 EIGs are entirely made up of women (437 women)
Contributing to local economic development
Contributing to local economic development
Market built by Eramet Grande Côte
In addition to managing its impacts, Eramet Grande Côte has developed a social investment program that contributes to local economic development in 4 areas: support for the local economy, education, health and the environment.
- 70% of Eramet Grande Côte purchases are local.
Initiatives are decided upon in consultation with all local stakeholders by means of a tripartite committee (mayors, Eramet Grande Côte representatives, local populations and civil society).
Rehabilitating and revegetating
Rehabilitating and revegetating
Prior to its operations, Eramet Grande Côte implements the ARRC principle (avoid, reduce, restore and compensate) in order to reduce the impact of its activities and help preserve biodiversity.
Eramet Grande Côte’s dredge moves over the deposit, sucking sand from the dunes and clearing any vegetation beforehand. After its passage, Eramet Grande Côte restores the site to a state that is as close as possible to its pre-mining condition – in some cases improving it, thanks to the introduction of a wider range of endemic species selected with the communities for their environmental and economic value. The plants come from Eramet Grande Côte’s nursery, which can produce 500,000 plants a year. At the end of the process, which takes several years, Eramet Grande Côte returns the revegetated dunes to their owners.
- 85 hectares of revegetated land returned by Eramet Grande Côte to the Senegalese government in 2022
- 1st Senegalese mine to have fulfilled this commitment to the State
- 900 hectares of rehabilitated land will have been returned by 2025
Virtuous water management
Virtuous water management
Water conservation is part of our commitment to responsible business. For example, Eramet Grande Côte does not pump water from the upper water table, which is used by the local population to meet their domestic and agricultural needs, but from the deeper water table, more than 400 m below the surface.
Similarly, Eramet Grande Côte recycles the water contained in the non-mineral sand discharged to backfill the mine, via pumping stations located along the mine. The water recovered in this way is then returned to the mine’s pond, with a portion being returned to the upper water table for use by local residents.
Water extraction is subject to a comprehensive monitoring system: deep water levels are continuously monitored using piezometers, and upper water levels are checked daily (the data is shared with the local authorities, who visit the site every month).
Mineral Sands : our news
6 September 2023
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