For Dubai Aluminium Company (Dubal), one of the world’s largest aluminium producers, 2006 was a significant year as the company expanded facilities in order to meet growing demand.

It also made significant investments in the mining sector by acquiring a 25 per cent stake in Canadian Global Alumina and the rights to the alumina produced in its Guinea refinery for $200 million.
The 2.8 million tonnes per year (tpy) refinery is expected to go on stream in late 2008, and the deal will ensure Dubal sticks to its expansion schedules.
Dubal also reached an agreement with Larsen & Toubro to develop a $3.6 billion alumina refinery with a capacity of 1.5 million tpy and adjacent smelter in the Indian state of Orissa.
The company also continued to seek potential business opportunities by participating in major trade exhibitions in Europe. It recently participated at the Specialty Equipment Manufacturers’ Association (Sema) show in Las Vegas to gauge the requirements of the $34 billion specialty automotive industry.
Dubal’s plans for this year include supplying more aluminium to European markets to meet the increasing demand, particularly from the construction sector.
It will supply 15 per cent more aluminium to Europe this year than it did last year. Its exports to Europe are expected to reach 213,000 tonnes in 2007 as against 185,000 tonnes in 2006, representing 20 per cent of its total production, according to a company official.
Last year the company’s production capacity was boosted to 861,000 tonnes with the inauguration of two new potlines in Jebel Ali.
“Its ongoing expansions at Jebel Ali will add another 60,000 tonnes annually to its production by 2008, increasing capacity to 920,000 tonnes,” says Khalid Essa Abdullah Buhumaid, Dubal’s general manager for corporate relations and international affairs.
“This will make Dubal the largest single smelter in the world after Russia,” he says. Dubal is also targeting joint ventures with low-cost alumina producers in order to protect itself from price fluctuations.
Last year, it unveiled plans for a $6 billion aluminium smelter complex to start operations in 2010. It will eventually have an annual capacity of 1.4 million tonnes, making it the largest of its kind in the world.
More than 92 per cent of Dubal’s total production is exported to global markets – from China to North America. Its excellent infrastructure in terms of transportation, port facilities and prompt document processing and clearance, all contribute to the company’s growing international presence. With more than 280 customers in 44 countries, its key markets include the Far East, Europe, the Asean region, the Middle East, the Mediterranean region and North America
Its other recent achievements include its casting operations being recertified to ISO/TS 16949:2002 specifications, marking another step forward in its continuous quest for excellence. The scope of the ISO/TS certification includes Dubal’s Casting Operations and associated support functions like marketing, supply, IT and laboratory. This achievement also falls in line with Dubal’s strategic initiative to maintain the highest standards of excellence, says Buhumaid.