Iran's attack paralyzed a steel plant in Abu Dhabi. Aluminum production will start next year
Emirates Global Aluminum (EGA) has announced that it will take up to a year to resume aluminum production at its plant in Al Taweelah, Abu Dhabi. “Our Al Taweelah plant is the backbone of the global economy and makes a significant contribution to global supply, which makes this incident negatively impact industry and prosperity around the world,” said EGA's CEO.
See also: Bahrain: attack on an aluminum smelter. It is crucial to the global economy
Bad news from the Middle East after Iran attacks
To resume operations at the smelter, EGA must repair infrastructure damage and gradually restore each reduction chamber to operation.
Preliminary data indicates that it may take up to 12 months to completely restore aluminum production.
The plant suffered significant damage as a result of an Iranian missile and drone attack in Abu Dhabi's Khalifa Economic Zone. The decision to stop production was made on March 28, after the attack.
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Huge steel plant in Abu Dhabi stopped after attack
Abdulnasser Bin Kalban, EGA's CEO, said: “We are deeply concerned about this attack on our employees, who come from over 40 countries and were simply doing their job.”
“We thank God that no one suffered life-threatening injuries and the injured are recovering,” he added.
He assured that the company will make every effort to support its customers around the world during this difficult period.
Iranian attack on Abu Dhabi. Aluminum supplies at risk
Ewa Manthey, an expert on raw materials from ING Groep, estimates in an interview with Bloomberg that the suspension of work in EGAalong with limitations in Aluminum Bahrain and Qatalum in Qatarmay reduce annual aluminum production by nearly 3 million tons. The raw material deficit will be felt on international markets, which will probably result in price increases, also in the longer term.
Emirates Global Aluminum is the largest industrial company in the United Arab Emirates outside the oil and gas sector, we read on the company's website. “For almost 50 years, EGA has been a leader in national industrial development and economic diversification,” we read. The plant supplies 4%. world aluminum production.
This is not the only aluminum smelter in the region that has been attacked by Iran. The world's largest such plant, owned by Aluminum Bahrain (Alba), was hit on Sunday.
