Ghana set to expand bauxite, alumina industries

Ghana’s mining industry is set for a major bauxite boost after RUSAL, one of the world’s largest aluminium producers, agreed to develop operations in the West African country

The Russian minerals giant has teamed up with the Ghana Integrated Aluminium Development Corporation (GIADEC) to develop bauxite mining operations with annual output of up to 5 million tonnes.

There are also plans to build an alumina refinery with an annual capacity of 1.2 million tonnes.“Our agreement with GIADEC marks an important step in implementing RUSAL’s strategy to strengthen its own raw material base,” said Evgeniy Nikitin, RUSAL’s general director, after the agreement was signed in Moscow during the Russia–Africa Forum.

“Ghana has some of the largest undeveloped bauxite reserves in West Africa, and we see an opportunity to establish an integrated production chain here – from mining 5 million tonnes of ore per year to producing 1.2 million tonnes of alumina.”

The mining project involves the construction and operation of a bauxite mine at the Nyinahin deposit in the Ashanti Region of southwestern Ghana.

Estimated mineral resources in the area of the deposit earmarked for development exceed 100 million tonnes of bauxite.

The second phase of the project envisages the construction and operation of an alumina refinery with an annual capacity of 1.2 million tonnes, using bauxite from the Nyinahin deposit.

The refinery will utilise natural gas, RUSAL reported.

Two joint ventures, Nyinahini Bauxite and Ghana Alumina Company, are to be established to coordinate the project, with RUSAL taking a majority stake in each.

RUSAL added that the joint ventures will be granted rights to explore for, mine and process bauxite in Ghana as part of the development of Ghana’s Integrated Aluminium Industry.

“RUSAL has been operating in Africa for more than 20 years, and this experience will enable us to implement the Ghanaian projects efficiently, from design through to reaching full production capacity,” added Nikitin.

The projects also envisage broad participation on the Ghanaian side.In addition to its equity stakes in the joint ventures, this will include job creation during construction and operations, the involvement of local contractors and suppliers, and the development of transport infrastructure in Ghana, to boost the local economy.

Reindorf Twumasi Ankrah, CEO of GIADEC, said the agreements fully align with its goal of establishing an integrated aluminium industry in Ghana that can process bauxite domestically.

“In RUSAL, a company with extensive technological expertise and many years of successful experience in Africa, we have found a partner capable of delivering on these objectives. The Nyinahin projects will bring investment, thousands of jobs, improvements to rail and port infrastructure, and new opportunities for Ghanaian businesses.”