First US primary aluminium production plant since 1980
Emirates Global Aluminium and Century Aluminium Company have entered into a joint development agreement.
Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA) has announced that the primary aluminium production plant will be built in Inola, Oklahoma, USA, and the company will own 60% of the venture.
Century Aluminium Company (CAC) has joined EGA and will own the remaining 40%.
Both parties will focus on greenfield development efforts on the site, combining EGA’s expertise in aluminium smelting technology, construction and operation with CAC’s history of operating smelters in the US and using domestic supply chains.
The Inola plant – the largest in the US once complete – is expected to produce 750,000t of aluminium per year, more than doubling current US production. Currently, about 85% of its aluminium is imported.
CEO of CAC Jesse Gary says, ‘Key industries, such as automotive, aerospace, construction, packaging and, importantly, national defence, stand to benefit greatly from this expanded production of this critical metal.’
It will also reportedly create 1,000 jobs at the facility, as well as 4,000 during its construction, which is planned to start by the end of 2026. It is expected to be complete and ready to start production by 2030.
The site is at the Tulsa Port industrial park in Inola, on McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System with good access to the Mississippi River for efficient bulk freight movement.
Detailed engineering work, as well as power supply negotiations with the Public Service Company and state of Oklahoma, are already underway.
