2011
AMBATOVY SUSTAINABILITY REPORT
29
Environmental Performance
Transport
Transportation-related impacts are unavoidable in a project
the scale of Ambatovy. However, we have aimed to reduce
the use of local road traffic wherever possible:
3
We chose a strategic location for the plant, close to the
Port of Toamasina, to lower the cost and environmental
impact of transportation of products coming in and out
of the plant.
3
The pipeline ensures that the ore coming from the
mine to the plant is transported safely and with a
relatively small environmental impact. Most of the
energy needed to transport the ore slurry will come
from gravity as there is a gradual decrease in elevation
of approximately 1,000 meters from the mine down to
the plant site.
3
We have a fleet of buses that transport workers to
and from our mine and plant site. This ensures that
the cost of transportation is not a burden to our local
employees, while reducing individual transportation
footprints.
3
At the port, we monitor all our unloading operations to
ensure that the commodities we bring in do not have
a negative effect on the town and the marine life in the
harbour.
The transportation of personnel has contributed significantly
to our overall transportation impact. Due to the need for
specialized expertise during construction and commissioning,
our workforce had large numbers of expatriate workers:
approximately 2,000 remained at the end of 2011 and during
construction more than 70 nationalities were represented
on site. The emission impact may be greater than what
we can account for. Aggregate data was not available to
make calculations related to employees and subcontractors
coming to and from Madagascar, since routing and travel
arrangements were often made directly by the traveler or
subcontractor. We have, however, reviewed the local business
transportation undertaken by Ambatovy vehicles, trucks and a
small aircraft that transports personnel between the plant, the
mine and the capital city.
Greenhouse Gas Emissions Related to Travel within Madagascar
Material
Consumption
CO
2
Equivalent
(litres)
(tonnes,
nearest thousand)
Vehicle Fuel (Diesel) DMSA
5,046,150
14,000
Vehicle Fuel (Diesel) AMSA
6,797,532
18,000
Aviation Fuel
265,475
1,000
