The Baniaka Iron Ore Project, owned by Genmin Limited, has an estimated 758 Mt reserve of 36.7% grade iron. The project aims to develop a greenfield iron ore mine and processing facilities approximately 60 km southwest of Franceville, Gabon. The mining permit and surrounding areas harbour both the Critically Endangered western lowland gorilla (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) and the Endangered central chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes troglodytes). The project includes the construction of a haul road (c .40 km) connecting the mining area to the Trans Gabon Railway, as well as the construction of a c. 35 km power line to the Grand Poubara hydroelectric facility. The project initially approached the ARRC Task Force in June 2023 to align with IFC Performance Standard 6; however, the project stopped responding to the ARRC Task Force after signing the MoU, and thus, the engagement has been discontinued.
