company news about State Power Investment Corporation Limited of China to build Guinea's Largest Alumina Processing Plant by 2025

State Power Investment Corporation Limited of China to

Build Guinea's Largest Alumina Processing Plant by 2025

  State Power Investment Corporation ( SPIC) of China will begin construction of Guinea's largest alumina processing plant in 2025, with output far exceeding that of a local Russian aluminum plant. The plant will be completed by the end of 2027 and will produce 1.2 million tons of alumina annually. 

  Construction will begin in March 2025 by NEC, which has been active in Guinea's bauxite sector for the past three years. The alumina refinery will be the largest of its kind in the country when it comes on stream, surpassing the existing United Russia Friguia refinery, which currently produces around 600,000 tons per year. The new plant will play a key role in helping Guinea to add value to its bauxite and promote economic growth and industrial development.

  In addition to the alumina refinery, SPIC will also build a 250MW power plant, of which 100MW will be supplied to Guinea’s national grid to address ongoing energy challenges and support the country’s wider infrastructure needs.

  The construction of the alumina processing plant is one of the Guinean government's initiatives to encourage mining companies to set up processing plants locally. This policy aims to increase domestic value-added production rather than exporting raw materials. Guinea is the world's largest exporter of bauxite, the main ore for the production of alumina, which in turn is a key raw material for aluminum production.

  Guinea’s focus on increasing local processing capacity is also reflected in its recent actions against foreign mining companies. In November 2024, the government blocked bauxite shipments from Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA) until the company speeds up its refinery project in the country. This reflects the government’s determination to see more value-added processing take place on-site, rather than relying solely on raw material exports.

  Guinea has set a strict timetable for the project, and if SPIC fails to achieve commercial production by December 2028, it may lose its mining concession. The agreement between SPIC and Guinea's military government marks the deepening cooperation between China and Guinea in the mining industry, further consolidating China's influence in the region's natural resources industry.