$4.5 Billion Expansion Secures Global Future for EMAL

ABU DHABI, UAE, July 24, 2011 /PRNewswire/ --

Emirates Aluminium (EMAL) has announced that Phase II of its operational plan will go ahead after the company's board of directors approved a $4.5bn investment, based on the success in reaching full production of the smelter's Phase I. On completion of Phase II, the aluminium smelter's annual capacity will rise to 1.3 million metric tonnes, making EMAL one of the largest single-site producers of primary aluminium in the world.

Saaed Fadhel Al Mazrooei, President and CEO of EMAL said: "This is a very significant moment for EMAL and the UAE. In just three years, EMAL has become a global competitor in the aluminium industry. Phase II will equip EMAL to grow the global customer base we have already established. It is also a clear demonstration of the confidence we have in the future market for aluminium and in EMAL to deliver to our customers."

The EMAL Phase II project will entail the construction of a new potline within the EMAL complex at Al Taweelah, Abu Dhabi. The line will comprise 444 reduction cells powered by increasing the onsite power plant capacity to 3,000MW, which will yield an additional annual production capacity of 520,000 metric tonnes. The new generation DX+ Reduction Technology (developed in-house by Dubai Aluminium Company Limited) will be installed, which operates at 420 kA and offers substantial benefits in terms of energy-efficiency and environmental protection.

Simultaneously, the technology installed in EMAL Phase I will be upgraded - a project that will take the production yield from the existing 756 cells (in two potlines) by 50,000 metric tonnes a year to 800,000 metric tonnes by the end of 2012. This will boost EMAL's total production capacity to around 1.3 million metric tonnes by the end of 2014.

For further Information, please contact:

Rosine Feghali- Emirates Aluminium
Tel: +971-02 509 2290
Email: [email protected]

Nick Langmead, Impact Porter Novelli
Tel: +971-04 330 4030
Email: [email protected]

SOURCE Emirates Aluminium