Guinea is set to house its second major alumina refinery, as confirmed by a report on Friday, June 7. The new refinery will be constructed by a subsidiary of Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA), following the signing of a non-binding agreement between Guinea and EGA’s subsidiary.
Dubbed as a Term Sheet, the agreement outlines that EGA’s subsidiary Guinea Alumina Corporation (GAC) will establish a 2 million tonnes capacity refinery in west Guinea by September 2026, with an initial output of 1.2 million tonnes per year.
As Africa’s largest alumina producer, Guinea has been actively encouraging companies to build local facilities for refining bauxite into alumina, with the aim of leveraging its mineral resources for economic advancement. The project is estimated to require an investment of approximately billion, with GAC set to collaborate with Aluminium Corporation of China (Chinalco) on the endeavor.
EGA recently confirmed a framework agreement with Chinalco to enhance their cooperation on an alumina project in Guinea, further signaling the development of the new refinery. The companies are now focused on advancing the project’s feasibility and joint investment, as stated on EGA’s website.
Since its inception in Guinea in 2019, EGA has made significant strides, exporting around 14 million tonnes by 2022. Currently, Guinea is home to only one alumina refinery, the Friguia refinery, which is owned by Russian aluminium giant Rusal.
Despite these advancements, EGA has refrained from making any additional comments on the matter at this time.