Repair of missile-hit smelter is ahead of schedule, says EGA

• Al Taweelah was damaged on March 28
• Repairs progressing rapidly, it said
• Full metal production may take a year

Emirates Global Aluminum (EGA) says repair work to restore production at its Al Taweelah smelter, one of the world’s largest, is ahead of schedule.

The site sustained significant damage on March 28 after Iranian missile and drone attacks on Khalifa Economic Zone Abu Dhabi forced an emergency shutdown.

In April EGA’s preliminary assessment indicated it would take at least 12 months to restore production.

“Repairs to damaged infrastructure have progressed rapidly,” the company said in a statement.

Basic utilities have been restored across the site, it added, with natural gas and electricity availability projected to increase in line with the restart programme’s needs.

The company did not disclose the cost of the restoration.

EGA must progressively restore each of the 1,262 reduction cells to resume hot metal production at Al Taweelah. The first restored cell was restarted on May 26, and 89 have been restarted so far.

Hot metal production will rise gradually but may take up to a year to reach pre-attack levels.

The Al Taweelah recycling plant resumed production in early May, with full output expected to take up to six months, depending on scrap availability.

The first alumina production at the Al Taweelah refinery is expected early in the third quarter. Alumina is a form of aluminium oxide refined from bauxite

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CEO Abdulnasser Bin Kalban said EGA is rapidly and safely implementing a clear, disciplined plan to restore production at the site.

“All opportunities to accelerate the timeline further are being explored,” he said.

In 2025 the Al Taweelah smelter produced 1.6 million tonnes of cast metal, while the alumina refinery produced 2.4 million tonnes of alumina, meeting 46 percent of EGA’s total alumina needs. The recycling plant has an annual production capacity of 185,000 tonnes.

According to EGA, the Jebel Ali site continues aluminium production at full capacity, with alternative outbound logistics routes set up to avoid the Strait of Hormuz. Its recycling plants in the US and Germany have continued production throughout 2026.

EGA is co-owned by Abu Dhabi’s Mubadala Investment Company and the Investment Corporation of Dubai.

Aluminium Bahrain (Alba) was also struck by Iran on March 28. The company declared force majeure on March 4 after the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz prevented shipments to customers and disrupted inbound supplies of alumina, an important feedstock.

Force majeure is a common clause in contracts that essentially frees parties from liability when an extraordinary event beyond their control, such as war, prevents the fulfilment of obligations.

Wood Mackenzie said the Middle East conflict is triggering a critical supply crisis in the global aluminium market, with disruptions potentially removing 3 to 3.5 million tonnes of output in 2026.