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Emirates Global Aluminium said in a statement that it has restarted 89 of the 1,262 reduction cells at its Al Taweelah smelter as restoration work progresses faster than anticipated after an emergency shutdown. First alumina production at the Al Taweelah alumina refinery is expected early in the third quarter of 2026, with a potentially rapid ramp-up to full production subject to bauxite supply chain optimisation. The company added that the ramp-up of hot metal production would not depend on the refinery reaching full output. EGA is exploring every opportunity to accelerate the timeline further.
The update distributed via the Emirates News Agency follows extensive damage inflicted on the Al Taweelah complex by Iranian missile strikes on March 28 that forced the full site closure, Reuters reported. Progressive restoration of the reduction cells has already achieved several early milestones ahead of initial projections. The company has targeted a return to pre-incident production levels within up to one year.
According to EGA corporate data, the Al Taweelah alumina refinery began production in 2019 as the first such facility in the United Arab Emirates and only the second in the Middle East. The refinery produced 2.4 million tonnes of alumina in 2025, meeting 46 percent of the group’s overall requirements after a total investment of $3.3 billion. This upstream integration has helped secure competitive raw material supplies for EGA’s broader aluminium operations.
EGA chief executive Abdulnasser Bin Kalban stated in the announcement that the company aims to emerge stronger than ever from the incident. “All opportunities to accelerate the timeline further are being explored, and we will achieve our goal of emerging stronger than ever before,” he said. The statement noted that EGA’s separate Jebel Ali site has continued operating at full capacity throughout the disruption.
The company said it has secured sufficient raw material supplies for both Jebel Ali and the Al Taweelah restart while drawing down inventories accumulated when outbound shipments were temporarily suspended. As a result EGA is currently selling more metal than Jebel Ali produces. The alumina refinery restart forms a central part of restoring the integrated Al Taweelah operations that include the smelter and recycling plant.
Emirates Global Aluminium noted that the Al Taweelah recycling plant may also be able to resume some production earlier depending on the final damage assessment. The alumina refinery restart at EGA’s Al Taweelah site marks a significant step toward normalising output from one of the world’s largest aluminium production complexes. Further updates on the phased return to full capacity are expected in coming weeks.
