Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA) is targeting a return to full production at Al Taweelah in Q1 2027, with 631 of the Abu Dhabi smelter’s 1,262 reduction cells operating, Gulf News reported Oct. 21.
The report said the site was evacuated and shut down on March 28 following an attack on Khalifa Economic Zone Abu Dhabi. EGA returned its first restored cell to operation on May 26, according to Gulf News. Work has since brought cells back across all three production lines.
The recovery involves removing aluminum that hardened inside the cells during the shutdown. Gulf News reported that EGA expects almost 80% of the cells to be restartable after that material is cleared. The others need more extensive repairs; whether their internal linings must be demolished and replaced depends on how long each cell had been running before the shutdown.
Cell repairs are part of normal smelter maintenance, but EGA has expanded its repair and restart capacity to more than three times its usual level, the report said. Gulf News also said the company considers the Al Taweelah recovery its most difficult undertaking to date. A cell typically takes about a week after restart to reach full production. Some molten aluminum is used to bring other cells back online, while the rest is sent to the site’s casthouse for processing into finished products.
The Al Taweelah alumina refinery remains at approximately 50% of capacity. It is technically equipped to raise production, but the timing depends on supply chain conditions and EGA’s plans for obtaining alumina, Gulf News reported.
EGA is also piloting its E40 technology on 13 cells that use existing DX technology. The company estimates that applying E40 to all 808 DX cells could add 67,000 tonnes of molten aluminum production each year. Gulf News reported that EGA is carrying out the pilot during restoration to avoid a separate construction-related shutdown of operating cells later.
