Engineering and Mining Journal - Whether the market is copper, gold, nickel, iron ore, lead/zinc, PGM, diamonds or other commodities, E&MJ takes the lead in projecting trends, following development and reporting on the most efficient operating pr
Issue link: https://emj.epubxp.com/i/131325
REGIONAL NEWS - ASIA Emirates Aluminum Awards $500M in Contracts to GE Ma'aden in $7B Phosphate JV with Mosaic and SABIC Power and control-system contracts awarded to GE as part of expansion at the Emirates Aluminum smelter in Abu Dhabi are expected to result in lower emissions and to enable EMAL to produce aluminum with better fuel efficiency. Emirates Aluminium (EMAL) has awarded contracts totaling approximately $500 million to GE to provide equipment and longterm services, directly and via engineering procurement contractors, for the EMAL aluminum smelter in Abu Dhabi. The project is expected to result in lower emissions and to enable EMAL to produce aluminum with better fuel efficiency. GE will supply gas and steam turbines, generators, and a plant-wide control system for EMAL's Phase II expansion project currently in progress, which will position the smelter as one of the largest single-site aluminum producers in the world. In addition, GE will provide its latest technology upgrades for the gas turbines that supply power for the currently-operating Phase I of the EMAL complex. The technology upgrades will include GE's latest DLN 2.6+ combustion technology, which is expected to lower nitrogen oxide emissions, as well as extend the lifespan of gas turbines parts by up to three times. EMAL's Phase I smelter produces about 700,000 mt/y of aluminum. Phase II, which is being built at a cost of about $4.5 billion, will increase production capacity to about 1.3 million mt/y when it comes on line in 2014. GE will supply equipment to Samsung C&T;, the Korean engineering procurement and construction company building the 32 E&MJ; • APRIL 2013 new combined-cycle power plant for EMAL phase II, including three Frame 9F 3series gas turbine generators and two SC5 steam turbine generators. When complete, the EMAL Phase II power plant will have capacity to generate more than 1,000 MW of power to EMAL's expanded operations. Under a separate contractual service agreement, GE will deliver long-term maintenance support for GE gas turbines at both EMAL Phase I and Phase II. This agreement will help the complex with improved performance and predictable maintenance costs and will provide access to GE's latest technology and global experience. "A reliable and efficient supply of power is key to the success of our mission, as electricity accounts for a significant portion of the cost of producing aluminum," said EMAL President and CEO Saeed Fadhel Al Mazrooei. "GE is successfully supporting both our Phase I and II projects with advanced power generation technology." The EMAL aluminum complex is situated in the Khalifa Industrial Zone in Al Taweelah, Abu Dhabi, and is a joint venture between Mubadala Development Co. and Dubai Aluminium. EMAL energized the first pot of Phase I on December 2, 2009, and the plant reached its full Phase I capacity in early 2011. Products include aluminum sow, standard ingot, billet and sheet ingot. The Saudi Arabian Mining Co. (Ma'aden) has signed a heads of agreement to develop jointly a fully integrated, world-class phosphate production facility in Saudi Arabia with The Mosaic Co. and Saudi Basic Industries Corp. (SABIC). The cost of the project is estimated at SR26 billion ($7 billion). Ma'aden, Mosaic and SABIC will own 60%, 25% and 15% of the joint venture, respectively. The new complex will be one of the largest integrated phosphate facilities in the world and will approximately double Ma'aden's existing phosphate production while adding important new products to its production capabilities. The project will include new mining and processing plants at Wa'ad Al Shammal Mineral Industrial City in northern Saudi Arabia, as well as further processing plants at Ras Al Khair Mineral Industrial City. The two sites will be linked by Saudi Arabia's North-South Railway. Production at the new facilities is expected to start in late 2016, with a total production capacity of approximately 16 million mt/y. The facilities will produce, as finished product, approximately 3 million mt/y of fertilizer products, as well as approximately 440,000 mt/y of downstream products, including purified phosphoric acid used in food industries, sodium tripolyphosphate used in detergent manufacturing, and dicalcium phosphate and monocalcium phosphate used in the manufacture of animal feed. In welcoming the new venture, Khalid Al-Mudaifer, president and CEO of Ma'aden, said, "This project represents not only an important milestone in Ma'aden's growth, but it will also be an important contributor to the development of the northern region of Saudi Arabia, as it will include the first major industrial project to be constructed in the region. The partnership with Mosaic and SABIC brings great value to the project in terms of technical, operating and marketing experience, and we expect this project to be an industry leader in terms of its operational excellence, commitment to sustainability, and contribuwww.e-mj.com