FLSmidth, a leading mining technology and services supplier, has extended its operations to Ghana and Africa as whole to enhance mining operations in the region.
The company has inaugurated a new state of the art facility in Accra to provide training services, targeting service growth, repairing customer equipments and also selling warehouse capabilities for mining companies.
Speaking at the launch of the project, Mikko Keto, The Group Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of FLSmidth, said Ghana had been among the top countries of mining hub, hence it was important to
expand its operations to ensure the mining communities in Ghana benefited from using technological advancement to improve mining operations.
He said technology has come to stay and must be harnessed to reduce hard human labour costs to work efficiently while generating revenue for the country.
The CEO said the establishment of the facility in Ghana would create more jobs for the youth and especially the mining communities, it would also train workers to upscale their skills in order to improve upon their mining activities.
"Mining companies must not fly their workers outside the country to receive training which would cause financial loss to the country, rather the FLSmidth would ensure they receive adequate training from experienced experts", he added.
Mr Sulemanu Koney, Executive Director of Ghana Chamber of Mines, said the establishment of the service centre was not only a commendable investment but a strategic move that would enhance the operational effectiveness of the mining sector in Ghana and beyond.
He said the mining sector remained the largest source of export revenue, providing crucial foreign exchange earnings that sustained the economy.
He said Gold alone accounted for over 50 per cent of total export revenue, reinforcing Ghana's status as Africa's leading gold producer in 2024.
Further, the minerals sector contributed over 60 per cent of total export revenue, far in excess of the discrete receipts from crude oil, cocoa and inward remittance.
"Therefore, the greatest impact of the mining sector on job creation is through its relationship with mining support service providers such as FLSmidth", he said.
He said Ghana's mining sector was poised to deepen its development footprint on Ghana's economy and become a major hub for mining support services.
The Executive Director said the service centre would minimize operational downtime, allowing mining firms to operate more efficiently, it would also enhance supply chain reliability, reducing the industry's dependence on overseas servicing.
Mr. Tom Nørring, the Denmark Ambassador to Ghana, said the investment was a testament to FLSmidth's confidence in Ghana's mining sector and Denmark's longstanding commitment to industrial growth, economic cooperation and technology transfer to the African continent.