The Guinean government has officially launched construction of the Winning Consortium Alumina Guinea (WCAG) alumina refinery in Dobali, in the Boké prefecture.

The refinery is a key part of the government's drive to move beyond raw bauxite exports and deepen local value addition.

The launch ceremony on Friday was attended by senior government officials, members of the diplomatic corps, industrial partners, traditional leaders and local communities from Boké and the wider Lower Guinea region. The project is being developed in partnership with WCAG.

With an annual production capacity of 1.2-million tonnes of alumina and capital investment exceeding $1.2-billion, the refinery is among the largest industrial projects ever undertaken in Guinea. It is positioned as a cornerstone of the country’s strategy to integrate more fully into the global aluminium value chain.

The project is aligned with the Simandou 2040 Sustainable and Responsible Socio-Economic Development Programme, promoted by President Mamadi Doumbouya as the framework for Guinea’s long-term national transformation. It directly supports the programme’s pillars focused on industrialisation and local beneficiation of natural resources, as well as infrastructure development.

Government officials said the refinery would play a significant role in expanding Guinea’s industrial base, strengthening productive capacity and supporting inclusive economic growth.

The WCAG refinery will use modern industrial technologies, energy-efficient equipment and environmental standards consistent with international best practice. In addition to increasing alumina output, the project is expected to generate direct and indirect employment, promote local content and facilitate skills and technology transfer, with economic benefits concentrated in Boké and the broader Lower Guinea region.

Minister Director of Cabinet of the President and chairperson of the Simandou Strategic Committee, Djiba Diakité, said the project represented a fundamental shift in Guinea’s development trajectory.

“What we are launching today is not merely a project; it is a vision, a transformation, and a promise fulfilled. This refinery marks a decisive step in Guinea’s move further downstream within the global aluminium value chain. Guinea is no longer only a mining country, it is becoming an industrial nation,” he said.

Construction of the refinery is now under way, as the government continues to position large-scale industrial projects as central to its economic reform and development agenda.