Dubai Aluminium to Expand Smelting Capacity to 2.5M t by 2015

CEO Abdulla J.M. Kalban of Dubai Aluminium Company said at reception in Tokyo on Thursday the firm will expand the output capacity to annual 2.5 million tonnes by 2015, which is 2.5 times of current volume. The firm tries to become world top 5 positions through the expansion. The sales general manager Walid A. Al Attar said the firm tries to increase the supply for Japanese market to 300,000 tonnes in 2010 from current 100,000 tonnes. The firm started operation with annual 135,000 tonnes of capacity in 1979. The firm increases the output to 950,000 tonnes in 2008 from 916,000 tonnes in 2007 expanding the volume to 1 million tonnes in 2010. The firm tries to build new joint venture smelter with total 1.4 million tonnes of output capacity by 2015. The firm also is in study for 2 700,000 tonnes smelters in Algeria and Saudi Arabia. The firm also plans alumina refineries projects with annual 3 million tonnes of capacity in India and with 3.3 million tonnes in Guinea. The firm sells 100,000 tonnes of aluminium to Japanese market, of which billet represents 54% with 24% casting ingot and 16% high grade ingot. The firm tries to supply standard ingot and slab for Japanese market. The firm tries to improve the service to Japanese buyers through agency partnership with Itochu Corporation.