Abu Dhabi aluminium complex recovery could take up to 12 months

Abu Dhabi: Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA) has said its Al Taweelah site sustained significant damage following recent Iranian missile and drone attacks, with full restoration of primary aluminium production likely to take up to 12 months.

In an initial assessment released on Friday, the company confirmed that the sprawling industrial complex at Khalifa Economic Zone Abu Dhabi (KEZAD) was fully evacuated, and all facilities were placed under emergency shutdown procedures.

The Al Taweelah site — one of the world’s largest aluminium production hubs — includes a smelter, casthouse, power plant, alumina refinery, and recycling plant. The facility was attacked last week.

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Gradual restart expected

EGA said restarting operations at the smelter would require extensive infrastructure repairs, followed by the gradual restoration of individual reduction cells — a process that is both technically complex and time-intensive.

“Early indications are that a complete restoration of primary aluminium production could take up to 12 months,” the company said.

However, some units may resume operations sooner. The Al Taweelah alumina refinery and recycling plant could partially restart earlier, depending on the outcome of ongoing damage assessments.

Al Taweelah alumina refinery and Al Taweelah recycling plant may be able to restart some production earlier, depending on the final assessment of site damage, reported state news agency WAM.

No serious injuries reported

Despite the scale of the attack, EGA confirmed that no life-threatening injuries were reported among employees.

Abdulnasser Bin Kalban, Chief Executive Officer of EGA, said, “We are deeply disturbed by this attack on our people, who come from more than 40 nations and were simply doing their jobs. We thank God no one received life-threatening injuries and that those hurt are recovering well.”

Global supply concerns

The disruption is expected to have wider implications, given Al Taweelah’s role in global aluminium supply chains.

“Our Al Taweelah site is a foundation of the global economy, and a significant contributor to global supply, making this incident damaging to industries and prosperity worldwide,” Bin Kalban said.

The company added it is working closely with customers whose deliveries may be affected.

The Al Taweelah smelter produced 1.6 million tonnes of cast metal in 2025, making it a key contributor to EGA’s overall output. The alumina refinery produced 2.4 million tonnes last year, meeting 46 per cent of the company’s total alumina requirements.

Meanwhile, the recycling plant has an annual production capacity of 185,000 tonnes.

EGA said it has substantial metal stock available both within the UAE and at overseas locations, which may help cushion immediate supply disruptions.