$4b Oklahoma aluminum smelter’s civil works penciled in for Q2 2027 as Inola ballot looms

The proposed $4 billion Oklahoma Primary Aluminum (OPA) smelter, a joint venture between Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA) and Century Aluminum, is targeting civil works in the second quarter of 2027, with first hot metal expected between mid- and late 2030. Realization of the 750,000-metric-ton project would render it the first new US primary aluminum smelter in nearly 50 years.

However, local restrictions, environmental permitting and ongoing legal hurdles clouded its path towards maintaining the construction timeline. A local moratorium and an April 7 ballot sit on the same calendar.

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A 750,000-metric-ton comeback attempt

OPA plans a $4 billion primary aluminum facility at the Tulsa Port of Inola, producing 750,000 metric tons of aluminum a year once fully operational.

Why start now?

Matt Aboud, Senior Vice President of Strategy at Century Aluminum, observed that the industry had needed new investment for years. The ideal moment passed “long ago,” Aboud said, but economic conditions had held back the development of any new smelter.  

“We’ve had a really sad 20 years as our industry has eroded to the point where it’s almost near extinction,” he noted, pointing to cheap imports, especially from China, rising energy prices and a declining workforce as pressures on existing US smelters.

“The reality is that we need a continuous supply of this material. We need it for critical industries like automobiles, aircraft, and national defense,” he added.

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Local hurdles reset the construction timeline

OPA’s plans have encountered delays in Inola, where the town council extended its suspension on primary aluminum smelting until April 7, 2027. The decision replaced an earlier 60-day moratorium that was due to expire on September 28. The council also voted to place a citizen-led petition seeking a permanent town-wide ban on aluminum production on the April 7 ballot.

The petition and a separate lawsuit filed by the Oklahoma Attorney General’s Office are being challenged in District Court.

According to Aboud, OPA hopes to reach a “go- or no-go decision” on the next phase of the project by the end of 2026. The company is also looking forward to holding a ceremonial groundbreaking, but construction cannot begin until the necessary environmental permits are approved.

Countdown to hot metal

“We expect that to be completed by early Q2 2027, and then the actual groundbreaking and the civil work phase will begin,” Aboud mentioned.

OPA continues to target first hot metal between mid- and Q3 of 2030. From the start of construction, the expected buildout would take a little over three years, or approximately 42 months.

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How the project reached this stage

The Inola smelter’s development has progressed through technical studies, engineering and permitting while facing growing local scrutiny.

The Oklahoma project’s course began with a power question. By May, the smelter’s timeline hung on a long-term power deal, with construction then expected to start in late 2026. Inola’s 60-day moratorium, approved on June 29, put the project on pause. In early July, developers said technical studies and permitting were moving ahead, now aiming for a 2027 construction start.

September brought legal and federal scrutiny. Residents sued the Department of Energy over funding and the environmental review, while the Department of Justice urged a court to dismiss the Attorney General’s lawsuit. In an exclusive interview with AL Circle, Project Director for Oklahoma Primary Aluminum Ziad Fares outlined the early 2027 construction target and the project’s next milestones.

The challenges intensified in September. On September 14, the town extended the moratorium to April 7, 2027. It also called a referendum, with the governor raising the possibility of a change in location. OPA developers answered with a $49 billion economic impact study, outlining the facility’s contribution to Oklahoma’s economy through 2060. The latest update now places civil works in Q2 2027 and first hot metal in mid- to Q3 2030.

The latest construction target of the Century-EGA venture of the Oklahoma aluminum smelter, therefore, depends on resolving the permitting and legal issues while advancing the project towards a final investment decision.