The Ghana Integrated Aluminium Development Corporation (GIADEC) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Italian engineering and manufacturing company Danieli & C. Officine Meccaniche S.P.A. for the development of a €300 million aluminium foil rolling plant and a Centre of Excellence within the proposed Integrated Industrial Park in Tema.
The agreement, signed at the residence of the Italian Ambassador to Ghana, marks a major step in the government’s efforts to develop an integrated aluminium industry and accelerate industrialisation under the leadership of President John Dramani Mahama.
Under the terms of the MoU, Danieli intends to invest approximately €300 million in downstream aluminium infrastructure. The investment will finance the construction of a state-of-the-art aluminium foil rolling plant with an annual production capacity of between 40,000 and 45,000 tonnes. The facility will manufacture ten categories of aluminium foil products for the packaging, pharmaceutical, food service and industrial sectors.
The project will also include the establishment of a Centre of Excellence dedicated to training, innovation and technical development in advanced aluminium processing. The centre is expected to become a regional hub for skills development and technology transfer.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, Danieli Group representative Danilo Dreolini described the project as an important opportunity for Ghana to transform its natural resources into high-value manufactured products for export. He reaffirmed the company’s commitment to supporting Ghana’s industrial development.
Italian Ambassador to Ghana, Her Excellency Laura Ranalli, welcomed the agreement and pledged the full support of the Italian Embassy, describing the MoU as a reflection of the growing industrial cooperation between Ghana and Italy.
GIADEC Chief Executive Officer, Reindorf Twumasi Ankrah, said the agreement represents a strategic shift towards building a fully integrated aluminium value chain in Ghana.
“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 proposed aluminium foil plant will be located within the Integrated Industrial Park in the Tema Heavy Industrial Zone. The industrial park is being developed by ARISE Integrated Industrial Platforms (ARISE IIP) in partnership with GIADEC and Tema Development Corporation (TDC) Ltd.
According to GIADEC, the location offers significant advantages due to its proximity to the Volta Aluminium Company (VALCO), Tema Port and existing industrial infrastructure, creating an efficient environment for export-oriented manufacturing.
The corporation expects the partnership to boost value addition by reducing Ghana’s reliance on raw bauxite exports and promoting domestic processing of aluminium. The project is also expected to create direct and indirect employment opportunities while stimulating upstream and downstream industrial activities in Tema.
Additionally, the Centre of Excellence is expected to strengthen industrial skills, enhance technology transfer and build local capacity in advanced aluminium processing.
Officials say the project will improve Ghana’s export competitiveness and increase foreign exchange earnings through the production of aluminium foil and other processed products for international markets. In the long term, the integrated industrial park model is expected to strengthen Ghana’s broader industrialisation agenda while boosting investor confidence in the country’s manufacturing sector.
The signing ceremony was attended by officials from GIADEC, the Danieli Group, the Italian Embassy in Ghana and the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources.
Story By: Eric Boateng
