Riyadh: Saudi Arabia plans to establish a giant primary aluminium production plant worth 26 billion Saudi riyals.
The plant will have a production capacity of 720,000 tonnes of primary aluminium in a year.
This information was contained in a study conducted by the Gulf Organisation for Industrial Consulting (GOIC). The report, released yesterday, showed that Saudi Arabia is working on a full-fledged plant to process bauxite ore and establish an aluminium smelter in Ras Al Zour, north of Jubail on the eastern coast of Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Arabian Mining Co. (Maaden) signed a cooperation agreement with Rio Tinto Alcan to build an aluminium smelter and rolling mill as part of Phase 1 of the Aluminium Complex, located in the Minerals Industrial City at Ras Al Zour.
According to the GOIC study, entitled "Aluminium trade and industry in GCC states," the Maaden and Alcan joint venture is part of a strategic project to obtain raw minerals in Al Zobaira mining region.
The project also includes an aluminium refinery with an annual capacity of 1.6 million tons and an aluminium smelter with an annual productive capacity of 720,000 tons in addition to a huge port for export of the products. There will also be a power generating plant with a capacity of 1,400 megawatts.
These projects will make electricity, steam and desalinated water available to the region.
The mining facilities in Al Zobaira will be linked with the refinery and smelter in the new mineral industrial city in Ras Al Zour via the ambitious north-south railroad, the study said, adding that the kingdom is also building a huge aluminium smelter at its prestigious King Abdullah Economic City in Rabigh, on the western coast of Saudi Arabia.
The first phase of the project will have a production capacity of 700,000 tonnes, and the investment will reach about $5 billion.
This was under an agreement signed between Emaar, the Economic City in Jeddah and Emirates Aluminium (EMAL).
It is expected that the project will create 2500 jobs and attract huge investments.
