Photo Credit : WAM
Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA) has restarted alumina production at its Al Taweelah alumina refinery, marking another major step in restoring operations at one of the UAE’s key industrial facilities following disruptions earlier this year.
The company said alumina production is expected to increase to around 50 percent of the refinery’s capacity within the next few days. EGA also expects to be technically ready to restore the refinery to full production capacity by the end of 2026.
According to the company, the pace of further production increases will depend on global supply chain conditions and the optimisation of its alumina sourcing strategy. EGA added that the continued ramp-up of aluminium production at the adjacent Al Taweelah smelter is not dependent on the refinery reaching full production.
The Al Taweelah alumina refinery produced approximately 2.4 million tonnes of alumina in 2025, supplying 46 percent of EGA’s alumina requirements. Alumina is the primary raw material used in aluminium smelting.
Abdulnasser bin Kalban, Chief Executive Officer of EGA, described the restart as a significant milestone in restoring the Al Taweelah industrial complex.
“First alumina production from Al Taweelah alumina refinery is another big milestone in our long journey to restore EGA’s Al Taweelah site to its position as one of the most important aluminium production complexes in the world. The dedication and agility of the team at Al Taweelah alumina refinery has enabled us to reach this milestone safely and quickly,” he said.
Operations at the refinery were suspended on March 28 following Iranian attacks on Khalifa Economic Zone Abu Dhabi. The facility resumed production of hydrate, the intermediate product used to manufacture alumina, on June 24 before restarting full alumina production.
Located adjacent to the Al Taweelah aluminium smelter, the refinery transfers alumina directly to storage and the smelter through an integrated conveyor belt system. Since beginning operations in 2019, the refinery has played a key role in strengthening the UAE’s aluminium value chain and reducing reliance on imported alumina.
