Emirates Global Aluminium advances phased restart at Al Taweelah site
Emirates Global Aluminium advances phased restart at Al Taweelah after March 28 attacks, restoring smelter cells and recycling plant while prioritizing safety.
Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA) said it has made accelerated progress in resuming operations at its Al Taweelah site, completing the initial phases of restart ahead of schedule. The company confirmed the restart follows an emergency shutdown after damage sustained in the March 28 attacks on the Khalifa Economic Zone in Abu Dhabi. EGA emphasized that the safety of employees and contractors remains its top priority as rehabilitation continues across the complex.
Al Taweelah site resumes phased restart
EGA reported that the early stages of the Al Taweelah restart were completed sooner than planned, enabling the first restored reduction cell to return to service on May 26. Since that initial restart, the company has progressively brought additional cells back online and reached 89 operational reduction cells to date. The phased approach is designed to balance speed of recovery with stringent safety and quality checks.
Extent of damage and emergency response
Operations at Al Taweelah were forced to stop when the site suffered significant damage during the March 28 attacks, prompting an immediate and comprehensive emergency response. EGA formed a specialist team of experts to oversee damage assessment, decontamination and repair works across the affected facilities. The company said all workstreams are being managed to the highest safety and industry standards while prioritizing the welfare of staff and contractors.
Progress on reduction cells and potline rehabilitation
Rehabilitation of the smelter’s 1,262 reduction cells is being carried out in a systematic, cell-by-cell programme. EGA has removed anodes from all cells, completed cleaning of 90% of the pots and removed approximately 20% of the frozen metal in the affected cells. The company’s technicians and engineers continue to work through the potlines, restoring electrical and metallurgical systems required to ramp up production safely.
Recycling plant and smelter production timeline
The Al Taweelah recycling plant, which had reached final commissioning shortly before the incident, resumed final commissioning activities in April and began producing metal in early May. EGA estimates that returning the smelter to full production capacity could take around six months from the point of progressive restarts, subject to ongoing repair rates and operational validations. The company has indicated that output will be ramped up steadily as each element of the site is certified safe and fully functional.
Alumina refinery recovery linked to bauxite supply chains
EGA said that operations at the Al Taweelah alumina refinery are expected to resume production in the third quarter of the year, with the pace of recovery closely tied to improvements in bauxite supply chains. The refinery’s restart timing will depend on logistics, availability of feedstock and the restoration of refining systems. Company officials noted that achieving full refinery throughput will be pursued with urgency while ensuring operational integrity.
Leadership statement and safety-first approach
Chief Executive Abdulnasser bin Kalban reiterated that EGA is following a clear, methodical recovery plan that places safety at the forefront of all actions. He credited the accelerated progress to the “extraordinary efforts” of employees and said the company will continue to seize every opportunity to shorten the timeline for restoration and restart. EGA also affirmed its commitment to transparent reporting on milestones and to coordinating with suppliers and authorities as needed.
Al Taweelah is one of EGA’s flagship production sites and a significant contributor to the UAE’s aluminium capacity, so its phased recovery has implications for local industry activity and downstream supply chains. EGA’s approach of systematic rehabilitation, staged cell restarts and careful commissioning aims to limit further disruption while safeguarding personnel and assets.
EGA said it will continue to monitor progress closely, maintain strict health and safety protocols, and work with partners to stabilise supply chains as the site moves toward full operational recovery. The company expects to provide updates as key restoration milestones are achieved.
