EGA upgrades third potline at its alumina refinery

Refurbished system should offer improved performance, company says

Globally, one million tonnes of spent pot lining is produced annually as a result of aluminium smeltin. Image courtesy of Mubadala

Emirates Global Aluminium has completed a major refurbishment of its third potline at its Al Taweelah alumina refinery.

The company, the largest industrial firm in the UAE outside the oil and gas sector, replaced the inner lining of the pots in which aluminium is smelted.

Pot linings have to be replaced after a number of years of service, as spent linings can become highly toxic.

EGA's refurbishment involved installing steel collector bars with copper inserts. As the copper is more conductive, it allows reduction cells used in the potlining process to run at a higher amperage, improving their performance, the company said.

"At EGA, we are committed to finding every way to enhance the sustainability, energy efficiency and safety of our aluminium production process," chief executive Abdulnasser bin Kalban said.

Earlier this week, EGA extended a ten-year contract with Swiss firm LafargeHolcim's local subsidiary to process and recycle spent pot lining.

Globally, one million tonnes of spent pot lining is produced annually as a result of aluminium smelting.

Previously, the waste was largely refilled, but companies such as EGA have invested in finding ways to remove the toxicity of the material and use it for other purposes.

Proper pre-processing can remove harmful chemicals from the waste, which can then be utilised as feedstock in cement, mineral wool and steel production processes.