Emirates Global Aluminium says it has restored around 50% of production capacity at its Al Taweelah smelter following the 28 March Iranian attack. The recovery is a significant milestone for one of the UAE’s largest industrial exporters.
ABU DHABI: Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA) has restored and restarted 50 per cent of the reduction cells at its Al Taweelah smelter following an Iranian attack in March 2026.
The company confirmed on October 21 that 631 of the facility’s 1,262 reduction cells are operational. EGA expects to restore full production during the first quarter of 2027.
The smelter entered an emergency shutdown on March 28 after an Iranian attack on Khalifa Economic Zone Abu Dhabi. Authorities evacuated the entire Al Taweelah site.
EGA restarted its first restored reduction cell on May 26. Since then, teams have worked across three production lines to gradually resume operations.
Complex restoration process
The shutdown caused molten aluminium to solidify inside production cells. Workers must remove metal blocks weighing up to 45 tonnes before restarting operations.
EGA estimates that nearly 80 per cent of the cells can restart after workers remove the solidified aluminium. Other cells require extensive repairs and replacement of internal linings.
The company has more than tripled its repair and restart capacity to accelerate recovery.
Each restarted cell typically requires about a week to reach stable production.
Technology upgrades underway
EGA is also testing its E40 technology across 13 reduction cells. If successfully expanded to 808 existing cells, the technology could increase annual molten aluminium production by 67,000 tonnes.
Meanwhile, the Al Taweelah alumina refinery continues operating at approximately 50 per cent capacity.
Further increases will depend on supply chain conditions and EGA’s raw material sourcing strategy.
Impact to expect
The recovery should gradually increase UAE aluminium production and support industrial supply chains. Full restoration could improve export availability and strengthen the country’s manufacturing sector.
However, output will recover progressively as additional cells restart and stabilise.
EGA maintains its target of restoring full smelter production by March 2027, marking a significant step in the company’s recovery.
