Jun. 9, 2026 - Guinea, the world's largest bauxite exporter, is accelerating efforts to expand its domestic alumina processing capacity as part of a broader strategy to move further down the aluminum value chain.

According to Guinea's Minister of Mines and Geology, Bouna Sylla, the country aims to have five alumina refineries in operation by 2030. Three projects are already under construction, led by Aluminum Corporation of China (Chinalco), State Power Investment Corporation (SPIC), and the SMB-Winning Consortium, with a combined planned alumina capacity of approximately 4.8 million tonnes per year.

In addition, the Guinean government is in discussions with Alcoa and its partners regarding another alumina refinery project.

At the same time, Guinea's National Mining Company (NMC) is planning a refinery with an annual production capacity of around 1 million tonnes. The project is expected to play an important role in helping the country achieve its 2030 processing targets.

Although Guinea possesses some of the world's largest bauxite reserves and has become the leading global exporter of bauxite, its domestic alumina refining capacity remains limited. The government is therefore promoting local processing projects to increase the value added from its mineral resources and strengthen its position in the global aluminum supply chain.

If the planned projects proceed as scheduled, Guinea could develop more than 6 million tonnes of annual alumina production capacity by 2030, potentially becoming one of Africa's most important alumina-producing hubs and a more influential player in the global alumina market.