VALCO Targets 80,000 Tonnes of Aluminium Production By 2027, Eyes 1.5m Tonnes By 2035
Author: Prosper Kwaku Selassy Agbitor
The Volta Aluminium Company Limited (VALCO) has outlined an ambitious long-term development vision that seeks to increase annual aluminium production to 1.5 million metric tonnes by 2035 as part of efforts to establish Ghana as a major player in the global aluminium industry.
The plan forms part of a five-to-ten-year transformation strategy presented by the company’s Chief Executive Officer, Dr Robert Makila Sambian, during the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources’ Progress Series.
The vision is anchored on two major pillars, beginning with the recovery and expansion of VALCO’s existing smelter and progressing towards a fully integrated aluminium industry.
Under the short-term recovery plan, VALCO is targeting the restoration of all 200 active cells by 2027, with an annual production capacity of 80,000 metric tonnes.
The plan also includes expanding value-added production, establishing joint ventures, introducing scrap recycling, converting from heavy fuel oil to natural gas, installing modern emissions scrubbers and undertaking comprehensive rehabilitation of the plant.
Dr Sambian disclosed that the company had secured the necessary inputs to increase its operating cells to 150, including 5,000 metric tonnes of imported anodes.
Management is also implementing measures to stabilise production following a power grid system collapse and transformer failure in June 2026, which affected several operating cells.
The second pillar of the strategy represents VALCO’s long-term ambition to produce 1.5 million metric tonnes of primary aluminium annually by 2035.
Achieving that target will require a fully integrated aluminium value chain supported by domestic bauxite mining, alumina refining, reliable energy supply and increased value-added production.
Dr Sambian further disclosed that Cabinet had approved the engagement of a strategic investor to facilitate the rapid turnaround and expansion of the smelter, with discussions and negotiations currently underway.
A key component of the transformation is the company’s move into higher-value aluminium products through the installation of its first-ever Electrical Grade Rod Mill.
The facility is already producing electrical-grade aluminium rods for both the domestic and European markets.
VALCO believes the development will strengthen Ghana’s ambition to build a competitive and integrated aluminium industry while creating opportunities for industrial growth and employment.
The company’s workforce stood at 848 as of October 2026, up from 785 in December 2025. Management projects that the number will increase to approximately 1,500 when all five potlines are fully restored, with more than 6,000 additional indirect employment opportunities expected.
VALCO is a private company limited by shares, with all 4,285,720 issued shares held by the Ghana Integrated Aluminium Development Corporation (GIADEC) on behalf of the Government of Ghana.
The proposed expansion is expected to reposition the company as a major contributor to Ghana’s industrialisation and economic transformation agenda.
