The Ambatovy Project, One of the World's Largest Nickel Mining Projects

Contribution to the local community and consideration of the environment

The Ambatovy Project makes a significant contribution to job creation in Madagascar. Out of the total 15,000 jobs currently provided by the project, 80% are filled by local staff. The number of jobs that will be created when the site goes into operation is estimated to be 2,300 for direct employment and 7,300 for indirect employment. Taking the above figures and adding on the families of these workers, it is clear that a considerable number of lives are supported by this project. Another benefit of employment under the project is the transferable knowledge and skills that workers acquire, which can help them secure future positions.

A variety of community support programs are also underway, ranging from the development of roads and railways, to the construction of schools, hospitals and other public facilities, and the establishment of an education system. In order to help develop self-supporting farm management in specific neighborhoods, the project provides farmers with technical guidance and assistance and purchases their products. These initiatives are designed to help raise the standard of living and quality of life of Malagasy people.

Environmental protection efforts made under the project focus on protecting forest areas and wildlife, with a wide range of measures taken, including setting up buffer zones* around the mine site to protect rare species, determining pipeline routes that will not disrupt the natural habitat of living creatures, and other measures to protect endangered species in the surrounding areas.

* Buffer zone: a zone established to protect specified areas by reducing the impact of outside factors.

Indian Ocean island with fantastic natural environment

Madagascar, known for its native lemur species, the aye-aye and Sifaka, is an island nation perched off the east coast of southern Africa in the Indian Ocean. The Ambatovy Project underway on the island of Madagascar at a distance of as far as two days' travel from Japan is an ambitious challenge in that the country's future is dependent on its success.

To improve its economy, which had been mired at the world's poorest level until 2000, Madagascar embarked on economic reform under the guidance of the World Bank in 2001. In line with this, a large-scale mine investment law enacted with a view to acquiring foreign currency came into effect in 2002. The Ambatovy Project was certified under this law and qualified to receive preferential treatment related to exchange control, taxation, and other matters. This favorable treatment reflects the strong expectations the island country has of the project.

As of March 2010, nearly 70% of all construction has been completed. The Ambatovy development team continues to drive the project forward. Already a focus of global attention, the mine is scheduled to begin full-scale production in 2013.

April 2010