Ghana has secured a €300m investment to build a major aluminium foil rolling mill after the Ghana Integrated Aluminium Development Corporation (GIADEC) signed an agreement with Italian engineering group Danieli & C. Officine Meccaniche. The project is expected to accelerate the country’s drive to transform its substantial bauxite resources into higher-value manufactured products for regional and international markets.
The agreement, signed on Friday, June 26, marks another milestone in Ghana’s industrialisation strategy, which seeks to process more of the country’s mineral wealth domestically rather than exporting raw materials. Officials expect the investment to create skilled jobs, strengthen manufacturing, expand exports and generate greater foreign exchange earnings by moving further up the aluminium value chain.
€300m mill planned for Tema
The rolling mill will be developed within the Tema Integrated Industrial Park, a project being established through a partnership between ARISE Integrated Industrial Platforms (ARISE IIP), GIADEC and Tema Development Corporation (TDC).
The site was selected because of its strategic location near the Volta Aluminium Company (VALCO) smelter, the Port of Tema, and established industrial infrastructure, providing efficient access to raw materials, transport networks and export routes.
Once operational, the facility is expected to produce between 40,000 and 45,000 metric tonnes of value-added aluminium foil each year. The mill will manufacture ten categories of products serving the packaging, pharmaceutical, food service and industrial sectors.
Building Ghana’s aluminium value chain
The project reflects Ghana’s long-standing ambition to develop a fully integrated aluminium value chain linking the country’s extensive bauxite resources with refining, smelting and downstream manufacturing. The strategy builds on earlier initiatives by GIADEC, including its $6bn integrated aluminium development programme, which set out plans to unlock Ghana’s bauxite reserves through domestic processing rather than raw mineral exports.
Although Ghana possesses significant bauxite reserves, much of the value generated from aluminium production has historically been realised outside the country through overseas processing and fabrication. Expanding domestic manufacturing is expected to enable Ghana to capture a greater share of that value while supporting industrial diversification.
The investment also complements Ghana’s broader industrial policy and the opportunities created by the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), which aims to strengthen regional manufacturing and intra-African trade.
Growing demand for value-added aluminium
The new rolling mill will manufacture aluminium foil for the packaging, pharmaceutical, food service and industrial sectors, where demand has continued to grow alongside expanding consumer markets and manufacturing activity.
Aluminium foil is widely used in food preservation, medical packaging, insulation and specialised industrial applications because of its light weight, durability and recyclability. As global manufacturers increasingly seek sustainable packaging materials, demand for value-added aluminium products has continued to expand.
Aluminium remains one of the world’s most widely traded industrial metals, with demand driven by packaging, construction, transport, renewable energy and advanced manufacturing. The growing emphasis on lightweight, recyclable materials has further increased investment in downstream aluminium processing.
Downstream aluminium processing typically generates significantly greater economic value than exporting raw minerals alone because it supports manufacturing, creates skilled employment, encourages technology transfer and increases export earnings through the production of finished industrial goods.
Training and technology transfer
Beyond manufacturing, Danieli plans to establish a Centre of Excellence dedicated to advanced aluminium processing.
The facility will focus on technical training, innovation, research and workforce development, helping to develop specialised engineering expertise while supporting technology transfer into Ghana’s industrial sector. The centre is also expected to serve as a regional hub for advanced manufacturing skills.
Danieli representative Danilo Dreolini said the investment would help Ghana move further up the manufacturing value chain.
‘This is a critical opportunity to transform natural resources into high-value industrial products,’ he said, adding that Danieli remained committed to supporting Ghana’s industrial development agenda.
Strategic milestone for GIADEC
GIADEC Chief Executive Officer Reindorf Twumasi Ankrah described the agreement as a strategic milestone in Ghana’s efforts to develop a fully integrated aluminium value chain.
‘GIADEC will continue to partner with credible global firms to position Ghana as an emerging hub for advanced aluminium manufacturing in West Africa,’ he said.
The latest agreement also follows earlier partnerships pursued by GIADEC to establish an integrated aluminium industry, illustrating how the corporation has continued to refine its strategy as it seeks international investors and advanced manufacturing expertise.
The investment also comes as European manufacturers seek to diversify industrial supply chains and deepen partnerships with resource-rich African economies amid shifting global trade patterns. For Ghana, attracting advanced manufacturing investment supports its ambition to become a regional production hub while reducing reliance on raw commodity exports.
Unlocking Ghana’s bauxite potential
Ghana is estimated to hold around 900 million metric tonnes of bauxite reserves, making it one of Africa’s better-endowed producers, although only a small proportion has been commercially developed.
Ghana’s aluminium strategy has evolved significantly over recent years. In 2025, the government cancelled a proposed $1.2bn bauxite development agreement as GIADEC shifted towards attracting new international partners capable of accelerating investment across the aluminium value chain.
Commercial production currently comes from the Awaso mine, operated by the Ghana Bauxite Company.
According to the Ghana Chamber of Mines, the country produced approximately 1.7 million metric tonnes of bauxite in 2024, highlighting the considerable scope for expanding domestic processing capacity.
If successfully implemented, the Tema aluminium foil rolling mill could become a cornerstone of Ghana’s downstream manufacturing ambitions. Beyond creating new industrial capacity, the project has the potential to strengthen regional supply chains, attract further investment into mineral beneficiation and reinforce West Africa’s position within global aluminium value chains.
The agreement marks another step in Ghana’s long-term strategy of converting its mineral wealth into higher-value industrial output. Should additional investments follow in refining and downstream manufacturing, the country would be better positioned to capture a larger share of the economic value generated from its substantial bauxite resources while building a more competitive export-oriented manufacturing sector.
