EGA completes major periodic refurbishment of Al Taweelah Potline
The Periodic refurbishment was completed with an average turnaround time of 50 hours per pot
Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA) has announced that it has completed a major periodic refurbishment of its Potline 3 at Al Taweelah, one of the longest and most productive potlines in the world.
EGA stated that during the refurbishment of the 444 reduction cells in Potline 3, it installed steel collector bars with copper inserts, designed within the company to improve performance. The reason for the refurbishment is that reduction cells (or ‘pots’) in which aluminium is smelted require re-lining after several years of production.
According to a statement from EGA, reduction cells elsewhere across EGA’s sites at Al Taweelah and Jebel Ali are also being upgraded as part of their potlines’ ongoing re-lining processes.
Commenting on the refurbishment, Abdulnasser Bin Kalban, CEO of EGA, said: “Aluminium is one of the most essential materials needed to build a more sustainable future. At EGA, we are committed to finding every way to enhance the sustainability, energy efficiency and safety of our aluminium production process. We will leave no stone unturned and take every opportunity to make even small improvements like this.”
EGA stated that it has used its own technologies for every smelter expansion since the 1990s, including the development of the Al Taweelah smelter. The company’s older production lines have also been retrofitted with its homegrown technologies. First commissioned in 2014, EGA’s Al Taweelah Potline 3 was built using the company’s UAE-developed DX+ technology, which is among the most efficient aluminium-smelting technologies in the world.
Additionally, EGA’s safety performance throughout the three-year potline refurbishment compares favourably to global industry benchmarks. EGA added that from 2018 to 2020, it recorded zero lost-time injuries on the project, and there were no injuries leading to time off work anywhere in EGA last year.
