EMAL to Deliver Liquefied Aluminum to Downstream Clients as Sector Grows in GCC Countries

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Written by Richard Finlayson, Senior International Editor for Industrial Info Resource (Sugar Land, Texas)--Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) governments are now moving to attract investors in the downstream aluminum industry, according to Mahmoud Al Daylami, general secretary of Gulf Aluminum Council. The aggressive positioning of the GCC region also reflects the growing dynamism in the global industry, which is on track to achieve 8% growth in 2013, compared to 3.7% in 2012.

Demand in international markets is fuelling the optimism among aluminum manufacturers worldwide, and the Middle East is fueling the optimism among aluminum manufacturers and investors in the GCC, as up to 80% of the region's aluminum production is exported worldwide. Sustained growth in construction activities in the GCC/Middle East is taking up 80% of the aluminum supplied.

Aluminum smelters operating in the GCC produced 3.74 million tons in 2012, which accounted for 9% of world production. A 13% slice of global production is targeted in 2013, and total annual production is anticipated to be 5 million tons in 2014.

Emirates Aluminum (EMAL) is following the downstream market expansion trail. Salman Abdullah, VP of Operation at the smelter, said: "With the remarkable expansion of the aluminum industry across the Emirates, and especially in Khalifa Industrial Zone in Abu Dhabi, we are looking to provide liquefied aluminum to the downstream industrials. Currently, we produce it in liquefied form and then solidify it to be transported to factories, which work on liquefying this aluminum for industrial usage."

To save time and reduce costs, the liquefied aluminum will be transported at 800C by vessel in two-hour trips.

EMAL currently produces 800,000 tons annually, which will increase to 1.3 million tons when Phase II of the smelter expansion is completed.

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