The Republic of Guinea has the largest bauxite deposits in the world. In the early 1970s, a consortium of aluminium producers developed a mine in a joint venture with the Guinean government. Under the joint venture agreement, the Guinean government was entitled to nominate a company to transport 50 per cent of the bauxite exported from this mine through Port Kamsar, provided the freight rates were competitive.

Several shipping companies were interested, but the government of Guinea chose Klaveness as its partner. Guinomar was established in 1978 as a company owned jointly in equal shares by the government of Guinea and Klaveness.
Knut Ek is the Commercial Director of Klaveness, Maritime Logistics, and is also the managing director of Guinomar. “Guinea supplies about 20 per cent of the bauxite produced in the world. Guinomar transports some 5–6 million tonnes a year from Port Kamsar. The bauxite trade constitutes about eight per cent of Klaveness' total shipping capacity per year,” says Ek, adding that Klaveness has been in Guinea since the bauxite mines were opened in 1962.
“Baux,” continues Ek, “is a small town in France where bauxite was first found and this is where the name bauxite comes from. Kamsar, however, is a much better place for bauxite. The best bauxite deposits are in Kamsar and in the Trombetas region of the Amazon river delta in Brazil. Kamsar has some 15–20 per cent of the global bauxite trade – corresponding to some 13 million tonnes a year. We think Guinea is a very interesting nation to work with – and we have done so for more than 40 years now. The country is also rich in other natural resources, in addition to bauxite. These are iron ore, minerals and probably also offshore resources,” says Ek. “In fact, Guinea probably has the largest undeveloped iron ore deposits in the world.”
Guinomar
We are joined by Mamdou T. Sow of Klaveness' Chartering Panamax department, and also by Alexandre Cole, Guinomar’s Deputy Managing Director who also represents the government of Guinea. Both are Guinean nationals working in Norway at the Klaveness head office.
Guinomar is a Guinean bulk shipowning and operating company whose head office is in Conakry, Guinea. The operating branch, Guinomar International, is established in Oslo, Norway.
“With Guinea ranking as the world’s largest bauxite exporter and Klaveness possessing enviable expertise in all aspects of maritime shipping, it was only natural for the parties to pool their efforts. Guinomar today enjoys wide recognition as a reputable shipping venture, professionally managed and capable of meeting the sophisticated demands presented by its contractual relationships. Guinomar’s primary goal is to provide economical and first-rate shipping services to the dry bulk industry, and to the aluminium industry in particular,” says Cole.
Since 1998, Klaveness and Guinomar have formed a pool of Panamax vessels called the ‘Baumarine Pool’. Today, some 80 vessels are operated by this pool.

Date: 05 February 2008