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Emal – well positioned to meet future demand for aluminium
© Emal
Emirates Aluminium (Emal) is a company
whose reputation is growing as quickly as
its order books are filling. With all production
sold in 2012 and production set
to increase in 2013, the company is well
positioned to meet the growing global
demand for aluminium and is set to continue
its impressing rise to become one of
the leading players in the industry.
Operating from its state-of-the-art facility in
Al Taweelah, Abu Dhabi, the smelter supplies
customers from around the world with highquality
ISO9001 certified aluminium. Products
include standard ingots, sow, sheet ingots
and extrusion billets. In 2012, Emal added
foundry alloys to its production portfolio.
Initially, it was the vision of the UAE leaders
which provided the concept of Emal as a flagship
for industrial diversification. The 2030
vision provided a road map for development
and goals for the company to achieve.
Emal is a joint venture between Dubai
Aluminium (Dubal) and the Abu Dhabi investment
company Mubadala. Based on an
initial investment of USD5.7 billion, Phase I
of the smelter was completed on budget and
ahead of schedule. Full production capacity
of 750,000 tonnes a year was reached at the
end of 2011.
Once Phase I was completed Emal did not
stand still. With confidence in the future market
for aluminium, the company announced a
further investment of USD4.5 billion for expansion
and a production
rise in its Phase I
potlines by increasing
amperage from 350
to 380 kA. As soon as
Phase II is completed
in 2014, Emal will
be among the largest
single-site aluminium
smelters in the world
with a production capacity
of 1.3 million
tonnes a year.
As part of Phase II,
Emal is using the Emirati-developed
DX+ Reduction
Cell Technology
for its new potline
of 444 reduction cells.
DX+ enables aluminium
to be produced using
less energy without
compromising on quality.
This means Emal is
able to almost double
production, while not
having to double the
number of pots it operates.
Once completed
the potline at Emal will be the longest single
potline in the world at 1.7 km.
As part of the expansion the dedicated
power plant at Emal will increase by 50% to
3,000 MW, making it one of the largest power
stations in the Gulf region. This reliable
source of energy is just one of the reasons
why Emal is perfectly placed to respond to
the changes in the market. Another reason is
the casthouse at Emal, which uses the latest
technology to provide greater flexibility in
product output. This ensures the company is
able to respond quickly to customer demand,
especially for high grade products.
Allied to these sound business advantages,
Emal also enjoys the benefits of a united and
stable political environment within the UAE.
This security and ‘an open for business’ approach
from the government has helped build
the foundations for success.
Emal’s commitment
The Phase I development was achieved ahead
of time and on budget due to the very effective
planning regime instigated and the engagement
of quality contractors working effectively
with the Emal staff. This project management
was aligned to a workforce committed
to Emal values and determined to successfully
deliver this mega industrial project. The continued
hard work and dedication of the staff
was only too evident in the recent achievement
of being the fastest ever smelter to produce
1.5 million tonnes of hot metal. It is this
type of commitment which will ensure Emal
delivers the ambitious goals set.
Emal has embedded health and safety into
everyday working practices by introducing
Environment, Health and Safety (EHS) representatives
into every facet of its operations.
These representatives work as part of each
team ensuring health and safety considerations
remain paramount in the workplace. It
is this kind of commitment which saw Emal
set an industry-leading figure of two years
and over 10 million man hours without a
38 ALUMINIUM · 3/2013