The Aluminium Project aims to exploit Saudi Arabia's bauxite resources to produce aluminium for domestic and world markets.
The Aluminium Project involves the development, design, construction and subsequent operation of two integrated sites:
The Al Baítha site consists of a bauxite mine and ore handling facilities and is located near Quiba in north-eastern Saudi Arabia.The mine plan has been prepared based upon current estimated capacities of the refinery and smelter reviewed in completed technical studies and envisages production at an annual mining rate of 4.0 million mtpy of bauxite for a period in excess of 30 years.
The Ras Az Zawr site comprises a plot of land 90km north of Jubail on the coast of the Arabian gulf. A segment of the site is proposed to be used for the construction of the alumina refinery, aluminium smelter, rolling mill and related infrastructure for the Aluminium Complex. Bauxite ore transported by rail to Ras Az Zawr will be refined to produce 1.8 million mtpy of alumina, which will in turn be processed in the smelter on site to produce 740,000 mtpy of aluminium.
The rolling mill with initial hot-mill capacity of between 250,000
and 460,000 mtpy will focus initially on the production of sheet, end and tab stock for the manufacture of cans and other products.
Aluminium operations at Ras Az Zawr will rely on certain infrastructure with a key item being a power, steam and water facility. In October 2009 Ma'aden signed an agreement with the Saline Water Conversion Company (SWCC) and Saudi Electricity Company (SEC) to develop a joint power and desalination plant which will generate 2400 MW of electricity and 1.025 million cubic metres of water per day. Of that, the aluminium complex will use 1,350 MW of electricity and 25,000 cubic metres per day of water. The rest of the water will be pumped to the cities of Riyadh, Hafr Al-Batin and Nuayriyah. Sec's share will be 1,050 MW of electricity, some of which will power downstream industries at the Mineral Industry Complex at Ras Az Zawr.
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