On June 13, 2026, Guinea's mining industry reached a historic milestone. Guiba Diakit, Director of the Office of the President of Guinea, together with a government delegation and senior executives from China Aluminum Corporation, jointly launched the construction of a local alumina refinery project. The total investment of the project is 1.68 billion US dollars, with a construction period of 36 months, to help Guinea promote the local processing layout of mineral resources.

Multiple guests gather at the construction site

The groundbreaking ceremony of this project was held in Liso District, Bofa Province, Guinea. Several high-ranking government officials from Guinea attended the event, including heads of various departments such as mining geology, environmental development, and urban planning. The Chinese Ambassador to Guinea and relevant representatives of China Aluminum Group also witnessed the start of the project.

Collaboration landing closely follows industry models

The implementation pace of this project is rapid. As early as May 21, 2026, Chinalco Hong Kong Company officially signed a mining cooperation agreement with the government of Guinea. This cooperation model refers to the mature cooperation plan of State Power Investment Corporation and Baowu Win Alliance's Ximangdu project.

This project is the third alumina refinery in Guinea since independence and a key project for the country to promote local deep processing of minerals. Guinea officials have stated that the country is no longer limited to exporting bauxite raw materials and is determined to rely on local mineral resources to build an African industrial system and achieve independent industrial development. This project is also in line with the overall development plan of Simandou 2040 in Guinea.

Diversified benefits empower two-way development

According to the official introduction, this project will improve the processing chain of Guinea's local aluminum industry, build a development platform for the local aluminum industry, and bring considerable economic and social benefits. The project can provide 1000 direct employment positions and 12000 indirect employment positions; Within 20 years, 500 industrial technology scholarships will be awarded, along with the construction of engineering technology training schools. Within 10 years, 100 professional and technical talents will be trained annually, and local fiscal revenue will continue to increase. The government of Guinea will ensure the smooth progress of the project throughout the entire process.

Chinalco stated that this refinery is the company's first overseas self built alumina factory. Based on this project, Chinalco has completed the layout of the entire industry chain of iron ore, bauxite, and alumina in Guinea, and will work together with local communities to achieve mutual benefit and win-win results.

The Chinese Ambassador to Guinea stated that the bilateral energy and mining cooperation between China and Guinea is massive, with multiple key projects steadily implemented and a total cooperation amount of tens of billions of dollars. China has always assisted Guinea in revitalizing its mineral resource advantages, promoting the on-site conversion of resources, enhancing the added value of mineral products, and helping the local industrialization transformation and upgrading. This project is a strong proof of the pragmatic cooperation between the two countries and will continue to consolidate the foundation of China Guinea economic and trade cooperation. Keywords:Engineering Construction,Construction News,Engineering Information

The project can produce up to 1.2 million tons of alumina annually, which is another major investment project of Chinalco in Guinea after the Simandou project. It is expected to be fully completed and put into operation in 2029.Editor/Gong Ziwei