GAC and Chalco agree to build an alumina refinery in Guinea

Guinea Alumina Corporation (GAC) and the Aluminium Corporation of China (Chalco) have signed a collaboration agreement to build an alumina refinery in the Republic of Guinea.

This collaboration, which got underway in March with the signature of a memorandum of understanding, makes use of the combined expertise of both companies in the alumina refining industry.

Emirates Global Aluminium, GAC's parent company, built the first alumina refinery in the UAE, creating the requisite national skills and capacities. On the other side, Chalco is a key player in China's nonferrous metals market, with a diverse asset portfolio.

Following the military coup in the West African nation, Guinea, which is now recognized as the world’s highest exporter of bauxite, has demanded from international mining organizations to build alumina refinery in the country.

GAC began production in 2019, following one of Guinea's most significant greenfield investments in the last 40 years. GAC's bauxite exports to customers worldwide reached 14 million wet tonnes in 2022.

More than 95 per cent of the 3,300 persons employed at the GAC mining and port locations in the Boké region are Guineans. GAC's direct contributions to the Guinean economy in wages, local purchases, government remittances, and social contributions totalled USD$ 225 million in 2022.