Both milestones were achieved on schedule, on budget and with zero lost time injuries, the company said.

Surface mining at Bel Air, on the west coast of the country, started at the end of June and material was stockpiled in advance of commissioning on August 3. Having successfully transitioned from construction into operations after an 18-month period, the team will now focus on ramping up to steady state production of 5.5 million tonnes per annum, Alufer said.

Alufer raised $205 million in December 2016 for the Bel Air build, which included its own dedicated port, ship berth, export facility and 25-km long haul road as well as own fully functional camp.

Bernie Pryor, Alufer CEO, said: “Building a mine within such a short timeframe on a greenfield site, on time, on budget and with an exemplary safety record is a rare achievement.

“We will now implement the ramp up and look forward to Alufer becoming a fully-fledged bauxite producer in the coming months.”