EMAL pours first concrete for Phase II potrooms

Emirates Aluminium (EMAL) marked a major milestone in the construction of its US$4.6 billion Phase II smelter expansion: the pouring of the first potroom concrete of what will be the world's longest potline when complete.

Phase II will add 444 reduction cells using the cutting-edge DX+ reduction cell technology. Phase II implementation will boost production to about 1.3 million metric tonnes by 2014 and will establish EMAL as one of the largest single-site smelters in the world.

The advanced smelter in Al Taweelah currently uses DX Reduction Cell Technology to  produce 750,000 tonnes of aluminium annually. This will increase to 1.3 metric million tonnes by the end of 2014 upon completion of Phase II and the installation  of the new generation DX+ Reduction Cell Technology to an additional 444 reduction cells. Early works on the estimated US$3.6 billion Phase II expansion began in early 2011. Combined with the US$5.7 billion Phase I joint venture between Dubai Aluminium and Mubadala Investment Company, makes EMAL one of the largest industrial projects in the UAE outside oil and gas and one of the key projects leading to the diversification of the UAE's economy.