MIAMI, United States. – The Camagüey Cromo Base Business Unit, belonging to the Geominera Company of the province, is preparing to close its third export of chromium, a high-value mineral with great international demand, in September 2024.
However, before the end of the year, it expects to carry out up to five mineral export operations, according to the report from the Cuban Television portal in Camagüey.
According to the official pressThese operations are part of the efforts of the island’s authorities to take advantage of one of the largest reserves of chromite (chromium plus iron) in Latin America, which are located in the municipalities of Camagüey, Minas and Sierra de Cubitas.
Chromium is a metal with little presence in the Earth’s crust. However, in Cuba there are more than 300 prospects and manifestations of this mineral. In the specific case of the province of Camagüeythe reserves could remain in exploitation for another two decades, according to official estimates.
Chromium, thanks to its corrosion resistance, is essential for the metallurgical industry, especially in the production of stainless steels and refractories for furnaces. In addition, its compounds are used in industrial processes such as leather tanning and textile dyeing.
According to the report, “fractions of 20 to 350 millimeters, known as Chrome Rajon, are exported from Cuba.” Although this mineral does not receive technological treatment, it is processed through a separation and washing process.
In addition, the Cuban government has prioritized the exploitation of these resources, with plans that include the export of chrome sand.
In May 2021, Empresa Geominera de Camagüey completed the exploration of a ferrolan chromite deposit that yielded an estimated result of more than 70 tons of the mineral.
The local media Santa Cruz Radio He anticipated that year that the new deposit could generate “more than two million dollars per export.”
In the central-northern region of Camagüey there are more than 350 mineral occurrences of chromium.
Chromite is a mineral raw material composed of iron and chromium, which creates a product called ferrochrome, which is used worldwide for the production of stainless steels, heat-resistant steels and refractory elements.
