Emirates Aluminium pre-feasibility study underway

As construction of the first phase of the EMAL aluminium smelter complex continues in readiness for commencing metal production in the first quarter of 2010, Emirates Aluminium’s pre-feasibility study for the second phase of the smelter is underway. Canada's SNC Lavalin and Australia's WorleyParsons, the two companies awarded the engineering, procurement and construction management contract to build the first phase of the smelter, are conducting the pre-feasibility study which EMAL CEO, Duncan Hedditch expects to be completed in the first half of 2009. "The feasibility study will assist us in firming up details related to timing. The scale of projects such as the EMAL smelter are 50-year developments, allowing us to take a long-term view on prices and this means the current value of commodities will not have any effect on the timeline of the EMAL smelter complex,” Hedditch said. EMAL is a joint venture (JV) between Dubai Aluminium Company Limited (DUBAL) and Mubadala Development Company (Mubadala) and was established in February 2007 to construct what will become the world’s largest single site aluminium smelter complex. The project will be built in two phases and utilise Emirati-developed technology. At the end of phase one in 2010, EMAL will produce 700,000 tonnes of aluminium per annum and 1.4 million tonnes annually at the end of phase two. The aluminium complex, a 6sq km site in the Khalifa Port Industrial Zone in Taweelah, half way between Abu Dhabi and Dubai, will produce primary aluminium with a product mix of sow, standard ingot, billet and sheet ingot. Being the largest industrial project in the UAE outside the oil and gas industry, the project will encourage economic diversification, creating downstream opportunities. This development will benefit the UAE economy, employing more than 14,000 local and international contractors/staff during construction and 1,800 people direct employment during operations. EMAL adheres to strict environmental standards set by the Abu Dhabi Environmental Agency, with state-of the-art emission control equipment including sulphur-dioxide scrubbers, the latest potroom gas treatment technology, the best-available gas turbine systems, and cooling towers to eliminate thermal stress on local marine life. Source: www.albawaba.com