It is reported that Rio Tinto Alcan and Sohar Aluminium have now reached full production at their joint venture facility in the Sultanate of Oman. The newly inaugurated aluminium smelter has an initial production capacity of 360,000 tonnes per year and is positioned in the first quartile of the industry cost curve.
Mr Tom Albanese CEO of Rio Tinto said that “The Sohar Aluminium project is an example of a mutually beneficial partnership. With access to an ongoing, competitively priced power supply, this facility will create concrete economic diversification opportunities throughout the region.”
Mr Jacynthe Cote CEO of Rio Tinto Alcan said that “I would like to thank everyone involved in the success of the Sohar Aluminium project and in ramping up the smelter both on schedule and on budget. With Rio Tinto Alcan’s benchmark AP 36 technology in place, this inauguration marks another example of how our proven power-to-product solutions contribute to maintaining our competitive edge.”
More than six million tonnes of global aluminium capacity is already equipped with AP technology, generating exceptional value and sustainability for operators around the world. AP technology is the most energy efficient and environmentally friendly smelter technology commercially available.
Rio Tinto Alcan’s partners in the Sohar Aluminium project are the Oman Oil Company SAOC and the Abu Dhabi Water and Electricity Authority. This joint venture strengthens Rio Tinto Alcan’s presence in the Middle East and will enable it to explore other opportunities in this important region. In addition to its equity interest in the Sohar Aluminium project, Rio Tinto Alcan assumes responsibility for technical and operational support as well as sales and marketing of all metal exported.
