Guinea has officially launched construction of the Chalco alumina refinery in Boffa, a major industrial project aimed at boosting local mineral processing and reducing the country’s dependence on raw bauxite exports.
The construction of the refinery was launched on June 13 in western Guinea as part of President Mamadi Doumbouya’s Simandou 2040 strategic programme, which seeks to transform Guinea’s vast mineral resources through greater local value addition.
The ceremony was jointly led by the Minister Secretary General of the Presidency, General Amara Camara, and Presidential Chief of Staff Djiba Diakité, who also heads the Simandou strategic committee and the Sino-Guinean framework agreement.
The project follows agreements signed on May 21, 2026, in Conakry between Chalco Hong Kong, a subsidiary of Chinalco, and the Guinean government. It becomes the third alumina refinery project launched under the current administration, following initiatives involving SPIC and the Winning consortium.
Officials said the refinery represents a key step in Guinea’s push to industrialise its mining sector by processing minerals locally rather than exporting unprocessed raw materials.
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Diakité described the project as a symbol of economic transformation, highlighting its potential to create local jobs, strengthen national skills and increase economic sovereignty.
Authorities expect the refinery to create around 1,000 direct jobs and 1,200 indirect jobs, while supporting training programmes, scholarships and the development of technical skills in the Boffa region.
The project, estimated to cost about US$1 billion, is expected to produce up to 1.2 million tonnes of alumina annually. It will rely on high-quality bauxite reserves from Boffa, one of Guinea’s key mining regions.
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For Guinea, the refinery forms part of a wider strategy to expand industrial capacity and deepen cooperation with Chinese partners in the mining sector, including major projects linked to the Simandou iron ore development and the Compagnie du Transguinéen.
The government says the initiative will help reposition Guinea from a major exporter of raw minerals into a country with stronger domestic processing capacity and greater economic benefits from its natural resources.
