Apr 19, 2011
Riyadh – 19th April, 2011 –A high level delegation from Saudi Arabian Mining Company, Ma’aden and US based Alcoa yesterday conducted an inspection visit to the construction sites of the aluminium smelter and aluminium sheet rolling mill plants in Ras Az Zawr.
The delegation consisted of Ma’aden Chairman Engr Abdullah Al Saif; Klaus Kleinfeld, President and CEO, Alcoa; and Engr Khalid Al Mudaifer, President and CEO, Ma’aden. Apart from the inspection of the smelter and rolling mill plants, the delegation also visited other infrastructure projects including the power plant, port and railway facilities in Ras Az Zawr Industrial City. These support facilities play a significant role in the successful operations of the company’s integrated aluminium project.
The delegation was received by Engr Abdullah Busfar, Chairman of Ma’aden Aluminium Company (MAC), Engr Abdulaziz Al Harbi, President of MAC and several senior officials. Ma’aden and Alcoa inaugurated the construction of the aluminium smelter and rolling mill project in October 2010. The aluminium project will become the largest, most efficient, lowest cost, integrated aluminium complex in the world.
The aluminum complex in Ras Az Zawr consists of an alumina refinery with a production capacity of up to 1.8 million tonnes per year, an aluminum smelter for the production of bars, ingots and aluminum plates with an initial production capacity of 740,000 tonnes per year, and a rolling mill with an initial production capacity of up to 460,000 tonnes per year. The rolling mill will comprehensively focus on the production of final plates for manufacturing beverage and food cans. The rolling mill will be one of the largest and most technologically advanced plants in the world. Production from the smelter and rolling mill is expected to start in 2013, whereas production from the mine and the refinery is expected to start in 2014.
About Ma’aden
Ma'aden was established as a Saudi Arabian joint stock company in March 1997 to facilitate the development of Saudi Arabia’s non-petroleum mineral resources and to diversify the Kingdom’s economy away from the petroleum and petrochemical sectors. Ma’aden is engaged in the development, advancement and improvement of all aspects of the mineral industry, mineral products and by-products and related industries in Saudi Arabia. In July 2008 Ma’aden offered 50% of the company’s shares for subscription in a successful SR 9.25 billion IPO. Ma’aden has progressed towards realizing its vision of building a world class mineral enterprise and its mission of being a profitable, publicly owned, international mining company, while maintaining the utmost concern for human resources, health and safety, environmental and social issues.
Ma'aden is engaged in the development, advancement and improvement of all aspects of the mineral industry, mineral products and by-products and related industries in Saudi Arabia. The company is committed to the best international and local standards in environmental regulations and values its role in Corporate Social Responsibility.
Ma'aden has progressed towards realizing its vision of building a world class mineral enterprise and its mission of being a profitable, publicly owned, international mining company, while maintaining the utmost concern for human resources, health, safety, environmental and social issues.