UAE-based Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA) has begun the first section of expansion cells at its Al Taweelah refinery. It expects the global economic recovery to boost aluminum demand.
EGA is adding 66 new reduction cells to its three potlines at the Al Taweelah aluminum smelter. In phase one, 26 of these have been installed and fired up at potline 1, leading to an increase of 30,000mt in annual production capacity.
Over the next phases, potline 2 and 3 will be extended, adding a total of 78,000mt in smelting capacity per year. Potlines 1 and 2’s cells utilize EGA DX technology while potline 3 will use EGA DX+ Ultra, which is currently also licensed and exported to Aluminium Bahrain (Alba).
According to Abdulnasser Bin Kalban, chief executive officer at EGA, these expansions will help the company deal with the production bottleneck and supply more aluminum to the global economy. The project currently stands at 70pc completion.
EGA is the largest aluminum producer in the Middle East, having produced 2.52mn mt of cast aluminum in 2020. It claims that 1mt in every 25mt of aluminum produced globally is made by EGA.