President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo will be commissioning the Electrochem Salt Mine and Processing Plant located in Ada-Sege in the Greater Accra region today.
The salt mine and processing plant, which is the biggest in Africa, has the capacity to produce about 1,000,000 metric tons (250 tons per hour) of salt per annum to supply to local and export markets.
Electrochem Salt Mine also intends to move to value addition by 2024 by building the salt refinery with revenue in the value chain expected to be over $1 billion.
The company currently employs over 3,000 youth, which is double the number that was expected to be employed.
The concession has the potential to make about 8 million metric tons of salt products annually.
However, in the medium term, the output is expected to be increased substantially with part of it being used to feed a Chlor-Alkali plant for the production of caustic soda and other chemical products.
Ownership
The plant, which is operated by Electrochem Ghana Limited, a wholly owned Ghanaian company, first secured a 15-year mining lease by Parliament in October 2020, granting it a concession of 41,000 acres at Ada Songor.
The Ada Songhor Salt Project initially produced some 60,000 tonnes of salt in about two years in operation but the company currently produces between 200,000 and 300,000 metric tonnes following US$120 million investment in the project.
According to a statement issued ahead of the event, President Akufo-Addo will deliver the keynote address at the commissioning of the plant with Chiefs, Members of Parliament, Ministers of State and members of the business community also invited to grace the occasion.
As already stated, Electrochem is seeking to boost salt production at the facility to one million metric tonnes annually to make Ghana the leading producer of the commodity in Africa.
About the Salt Project
The salt mine is a 41,000 acres’ concession acquired by Electrochem Ghana Limited, a subsidiary of the McDan Group.
For over 54 years, governments and individuals, both local and foreign tried to development mines but have not been successful.
This is the first time in the history of the project that the traditional authorities have given 100% support to the development project with government giving the licence and Parliament of Ghana ratifying it.
Project details
The project involves the construction of evaporators, crystalizer, reservoirs on the 41,000 acres’ concession, spanning Ada West and Ada east, which 80% of the west has been developed.
The Ada East port is also being built to aid export to the neighbouring countries and beyond.
Impact so far
The company has acquired 150 acres of land to build a sport complex for the youth and first phase is ongoing.
It has also given GHS3 million interest free loans for women in business around the West and the East.
Additionally, it has fixed a lot of roads in the community, built 20-capacity toilet, provided scholarship schemes to brilliant but needy students, providing water on daily basis to the community, hospitals and schools as well as helping in preventing flooding in the area.
