VALCO targets 1.5MT output alongside 5000 jobs through its integrated aluminium plan

Plans to develop a fully integrated aluminium industry in Ghana could elevate the Volta Aluminium Company Limited (VALCO) into one of Africa’s largest aluminium producers, according to the company’s Chief Executive Officer, Dr Robert Malika Sambian.

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In comments made during an interview on Citi Eyewitness News on Wednesday, 4 February, Dr Sambian said the government’s long-term industrial strategy envisages a significant expansion of VALCO’s operations. The objective, he noted, is to transform the facility into the continent’s largest single-site aluminium smelter, with production capacity projected to exceed 1.5 million tonnes by 2035.

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Dr Sambian said the ambition is underpinned by Ghana’s extensive bauxite reserves, which he described as sufficient to sustain mining activity for well over a hundred years. This resource base, he argued, provides the foundation for a vertically integrated aluminium value chain that could be developed domestically.

According to the proposed framework, VALCO could request access to a bauxite mining concession, allowing the company to process raw bauxite into alumina within the country before supplying it directly to its smelting operations. Such a model, he said, would reduce dependence on external inputs and strengthen the company’s competitive position in the global aluminium market.

Beyond industrial capacity, the expansion is expected to have a substantial employment impact. Dr Sambian said the integrated approach could create around 5,000 jobs, spanning mining, alumina refining, power generation, port operations, and smelting activities. Many of these roles, he added, would support round-the-clock operations, aligning with the government’s broader push towards a 24-hour economy.

According to the VALCO chief, the combination of local resource processing, energy infrastructure, and continuous operations would not only boost output but also deepen the economic value retained within Ghana.

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