Active exploration programme embarked upon by the Ghana Manganese Company (GMC) has unearthed substantial economic reserves of manganese that can last for the next 20 years.

The discovery of the reserves has contributed to expansion in production and placed the company on course to achieve its export target of one million tonnes for 2001. The set export target for 2002 is 1.2 million tonnes.

The Resident Director of GMC, Mr Jurgen Eijgendaal, who disclosed this in an interview at Nsuta, however, cited strategic and technical reasons for withholding figures for the tonnage of manganese reserves discovered.

He said the installation of tailings recovery plant at the mine has enabled the company to produce alternative manganese products such as super fine manganese which has high international demand.

He explained that the recovery plant separates the manganese from waste products to give it its fine quality.

Mr Eijgendaal further disclosed that GMC is currently liasing with reputed international mineral institutions to conduct studies on submitted samples of manganese products for the company to embark on production.

He said GMC is awaiting the results of such studies.

The resident director disclosed that the Environmental Protection Agency has approved the reclamation and revegetation plan of the company.

He explained that the reclamation and revegetation plan involves the planting of timber trees, citrus, commercial trees, creating of fish ponds and revegetating pits for farming.

Mr Eijgendaal noted that since GMC does not use chemicals in its operations, there is a high nutrient content in used land at the mine.

He further hinted that manganese is a proven fertilizer.

He stated that GMC has paid ?7.7 billion as royalties from 2000 to 2001 and said, the company has spent ?280 million on community-assisted projects for the same period.