Alba acquires smelting technology from EGA

Emirates Global Aluminium has concluded the sale of its in-house developed, proprietary DX+ Ultra Smelting Technology to Aluminium Bahrain BSC for its Line 6 expansion project.
The sale marks a major milestone for EGA and the UAE. Not only is this the first sale of EGA's advanced, state-of-the-art technology; but also the first such sale outside the UAE - the combination affirming the country's place among the world's innovation-driven nations.
"Since inception in 1979, EGA has been committed to continuous innovation in the aluminium smelting process so as to produce the world's best quality aluminium products while achieving maximum operating efficiencies," says Abdulla Kalban, managing director and chief executive officer of EGA.
"Our culture of value-adding innovation provided both the foundation and inspiration for ongoing in-house development of enhanced proprietary smelting technologies that deliver higher production volumes, improved current efficiencies and environmental benefits; and the industrial-scale installation of our technologies in EGA's smelter operations in the UAE," the chief executive officer said. DX+ Ultra Smelting Technology is the next generation version of EGA's proven DX+ Smelting Technology, which was developed at EGA subsidiary Dubai Aluminium. DX+ Smelting Technology cells built in the Eagle pilot line at the DUBAL plant began operating at 420 kA in 2010, with the amperage being increased in successive increments to 450 kA by the end of 2013.
The exceptional performance capabilities of DX+ Smelting Technology have since been demonstrated at EGA subsidiary Emirates Aluminium, where 444 DX+ cells were installed in the 1.7 kilometre-long EMAL Potline 3 constructed during EMAL Phase II.
EMAL Potline 3 was fully commissioned by mid-2014 and has been operating steadily at 455 kA since 11 March 2015. It is ultimately expected to operate at 460 kA in the near future.
EMAL, which uses EGA smelting technologies throughout its smelter operations, is currently the largest single-site primary aluminium producer in the world, with a capacity of 1.4 million tonnes per year.
- haseeb@khaleejtimes.com