EGA completes commissioning of the calcination section of its Al Taweelah alumina refinery

Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA) has announced the completion of commissioning process of the calcination section of its alumina refinery at Al Taweelah in Abu Dhabi.

This involved a carefully-planned process of testing equipment and systems in a new plant before start-up. This makes the calcination section the first of the four major sections of Al Taweelah alumina refinery to be ready for production. Al Taweelah is equipped with two calciners, each of which will have a capacity to produce 3,500 tonnes of alumina daily. 

The commissioning of the other sections of the alumina refinery is taking place in time and the refinery is expected to produce its first batch of alumina by H1 2019. Al Taweelah alumina refinery contains some 9,500 instruments, 222 tanks and long stretch of piping and cabling.  The calcination section contains more than 1,700 instruments and over 100 motors.

Tthe Finnish Ambassador to the UAE Riita Swan and Gustav Kildén, Senior Vice President of Outotec, the Finnish technology company and the main contractor on the calcination facility were present during the commissioning ceremony.

Abdulla Kalban, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of EGA, said: “Commissioning is the last stage of this massive project to develop EGA’s and the UAE’s first alumina refinery. The safe completion of commissioning of the calcination section is an important milestone. In line with our plan we are making good progress commissioning other sections of the plant on our journey to first alumina production.”

Al Taweelah alumina refinery will be the first alumina refinery in the UAE and the second in the Middle East. EGA plans to expand its upstream business and secure raw materials at competitive prices by the construction of its own refinery. EGA is also developing a bauxite mine and associated export facilities in the Republic of Guinea in West Africa. Once complete, the refinery will produce 2 million tonnes of alumina per year and meet 40 per cent of EGA’s alumina requirements. The project cost of Al Taweelah alumina refinery is approximately US$3.3 billion.