EGA's Al Taweelah alumina refinery starts production today as a major milestone in UAE's industrial sector

Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA) has announced the production start at Al Taweelah alumina refinery today, April 10. The refinery is expected to expand UAE’s upstream business in the aluminium value chain.

Al Taweelah alumina refinery project, located in Khalifa Industrial Zone Abu Dhabi incurred a development cost of approximately $3.3 billion.  It is the first alumina refinery in the UAE marking the beginning of a new industrial activity in the country.

Commenting on the production start-up, Abdulla Kalban, EGA’s Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer said: “The start-up of Al Taweelah alumina refinery is transformative for EGA and the first of two major milestones this year as we complete our strategic growth projects upstream in the aluminium value chain. Al Taweelah alumina refinery, and our bauxite mining project in Guinea where construction continues, secure our supply of raw materials at competitive prices and will strengthen EGA’s business for decades ahead. I want to thank every colleague who played a role in the safe and efficient completion of this important project.”

Construction of Al Taweelah alumina refinery took 72 million hours of work with the maximum construction workforce at 11,542 people. More than 20 major contracting companies worked on the project and 80 per cent of the contracts by value were awarded to UAE-registered companies.

Al Taweelah alumina refinery is expected to produce two million tonnes of alumina per year after the complete ramp up and reduce EGA’s import dependence for one of the crucial raw materials required for its aluminium operations. The refinery will convert about five million tonnes of bauxite into alumina per year, which will be exported by Compagnie des Bauxites de Guinée in the West African country of Guinea.

EGA is also building a bauxite mine and export facilities in Guinea as another strategic upstream expansion and the project is expected to export its first bauxite by H2 2019.