The Ghana Integrated Aluminium Development Corporation (GIADEC) , which operates the VALCO aluminum smelter, plans to invest approximately €300 million in the construction of a new aluminum foil plant as part of a new integrated industrial part in the Tema Heavy Industrial Zone in Ghana. The agreement marks a significant milestone in Ghana’s industrial transformation agenda.
For this project, GIADEC signed an MOU with Danieli & C. Officine Meccaniche S.P.A. a leading Italian engineering and manufacturing firm. Under the agreement, Danieli will supply downstream aluminum infrastructure, including a new aluminum foil rolling plant and a Centre of Excellence.
Reindorf Twumasi Ankrah, CEO of GIADEC, stated that the agreement signals a strategic shift toward building a fully integrated aluminum value chain in Ghana. He added, “GIADEC will continue to partner with credible global firms to position Ghana as an emerging hub for advanced aluminum manufacturing in West Africa.”
The foil rolling plant will be a state-of-the-art facility with projected annual output of 40–45,000 tonnes of value-added aluminium foil products across ten categories. The products will serve packaging, pharmaceutical, food service, and industrial markets. In addition, the plant’s location within the Tema Heavy Industrial Zone offers strategic advantages, including proximity to VALCO’s smelting capacity, Tema Port, and established industrial infrastructure, enabling efficient export-oriented manufacturing.
The Centre of Excellence will be a dedicated facility for training, innovation, and technical development in advanced aluminum processing. It is expected to serve as a regional hub for skills development and technology transfer.
The project will create direct and indirect employment opportunities, with stimulation of upstream and downstream industrial clusters in Tema. It is also expected to accelerate Ghana’s transition from raw bauxite exports to integrated aluminum production and domestic value retention, enhancing the country’s export competitiveness and foreign exchange earnings through the sale of aluminum foil and processed products targeted at international markets.
Over the long term, the integration of infrastructure, technology, and investment under a structured industrial park model is expected to strengthen Ghana’s broader industrialization agenda and boost investor confidence in the manufacturing sector.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, Danilo Dreolini from the Danieli Group described the project as a critical opportunity for Ghana to convert its natural resources into high-value manufactured exports. He reaffirmed Danieli’s commitment to expanding its contribution to Ghana’s industrial growth.