The Volta Aluminium Company Limited (VALCO) has announced plans to expand its smelter operational capacity from the current 23 per cent to 40 per cent.

The initiative is to position the company to be able to process bauxite into value-added products to address the current arrangement in which aluminium is exported in a raw state.

The Chief Executive Officer of VALCO, Dr Robert Makila Sambian, who disclosed this during a working tour of the company by the Board of Directors on Monday, said the move marked a significant milestone in Ghana’s efforts to build a fully integrated aluminium industry.

He stated that the modernisation drive formed part of the broader Integrated Aluminium Industry (IAI) strategy being implemented by the government through the Ghana Integrated Aluminium Development Corporation (GIADEC).

Dr Sambian explained that the modernisation exercise was designed to transform Ghana’s aluminium sector from one heavily dependent on raw bauxite exports into a value-driven industry anchored on local refining, smelting and downstream manufacturing.

“As part of the strategy, and to support enhanced operations, new equipment including lift trucks, pay loaders, tractor heads and other critical machinery have been installed to enhance the company’s operations,” he emphasised.

Dr Sambian further noted that the refined aluminium products, particularly cables, already exceed local quality standards and were being developed to meet European market specifications.

He revealed that product samples sent to Canada for independent testing returned positive results.

The CEO of VALCO again disclosed that the company had secured a trial order to ship the products to Europe for field testing, after which the facility was expected to be officially inaugurated by the President.

He said the modernisation programme was to respond to calls for Ghana to transition from exporting raw bauxite to processing it locally into alumina and aluminium, a shift that would significantly increase economic value and generate sustainable employment opportunities.

Dr Sambian stated that historically, about 20 per cent of VALCO’s primary aluminium output had been consumed by local downstream industries.

He said the current strategy sought to substantially increase domestic utilisation while establishing a robust and sustainable value-addition base for both local and international markets.

Moreover, he elaborated that the newly constituted VALCO Board had also been mandated to unlock Ghana’s bauxite potential and drive local value creation, in line with government policy to reduce the export of raw materials.

The Board Chairman, Horace Nii Ayi Ankrah, expressed satisfaction with the progress made so far and pledged the board’s full support to management in advancing VALCO’s development agenda.