The Volta Aluminium Company Limited (VALCO) has achieved a huge financial turnaround, returning to profitability with a positive EBITDA of $1.4m (£1.1m) for the first nine months of 2026, driven by value-added manufacturing and an expanded 1:4:4 shift system.

The financial performance for the period ending 30 September 2026 sets a recovery from the $13.08m negative EBITDA recorded during the same period in 2025.

Total revenue reached $103.85m, representing a 13% increase over the $91.78m generated during the first nine months of 2025.

The financial details were presented on November 3, 2026, by VALCO Chief Executive Officer Dr Robert Makila Sambian during the Progress Series hosted by the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources to highlight key milestones in Ghana's industrial sector.

Dr. Sambian attributed the commercial growth to the commercial operation of VALCO's first-ever value-addition line—the Continuous Casting and Rolling (CCR) Electrical Grade Rod Mill. The facility processes primary liquid aluminium into high-grade electrical rods for both Ghanaian domestic industrial use and European export markets, aligning with President John Dramani Mahama’s agenda on national value addition.

To sustain continuous 24-hour manufacturing at the CCR plant, VALCO adopted a 1:4:4 shift system, a work structure where every operational role is assigned to four personnel across four rotating shifts.

"The 1:4:4 shift system is an important operational model that underpins our operational continuity and financial performance. Operating a continuous casting process requires non-stop precision. Assigning four dedicated workers to every role across four rotating shifts allows us to maintain uninterrupted production, maximize output, eliminate worker fatigue, and directly expand employment opportunities.," Sambian said.

The combination of value-addition processing and the 1:4:4 operational structure helped drive headcount expansion to 848 employees by October 2026, up from 785 in December 2025.

VALCO projects that full potline restoration alongside downstream expansion will scale direct employment to 1,500 workers while sustaining over 6,000 indirect jobs nationwide.

Highlighting the company's expanding market footprint, Dr. Sambian emphasized the commercial impact of supplying both domestic and international buyers.

"VALCO is no longer merely an exporter of primary metal, we are supplying high-grade electrical rods to power Ghana's domestic infrastructure while fulfilling export orders for European markets. This commercial strategy strengthens our foreign exchange earnings and underpins our financial recovery," Dr. Sambian said. 

To protect and expand these revenue streams, VALCO executed a retooling programme, acquiring 16 lift trucks, two payloaders, two melting furnaces, a centrifuge system, mobile crushing equipment, cranes, and natural gas piping infrastructure.

The company also secured 5,000 metric tonnes of imported carbon anodes to support the expansion of reduction cells toward a target of 150 units.

Having stabilized plant operations, VALCO remains on track to close October with 98 active reduction cells online, solidifying its path toward long-term profitability.