JEDDAH/PERTH – Australia has loaded its first shipment of around 47,000 tons of alumina for Saudi Arabia, and has left Alcoa's Bunbury Port facility in Western Australia. industry sources said this week, paving the way for the Ma'aden Alcoa aluminum joint venture to start trial production at the country's first smelter, Platts reported Tuesday. The 750,000 mt/year plant at Ras Al-Khair is expected to start trial runs in November, with first metal estimated from December, and commercial production in the new year, sources familiar with the production plans said. Alcoa has said it will supply the smelter with alumina until the complex's 1.8 million mt/year alumina refinery is completed in 2014. The alumina refinery at Ras Al Khair will have a nameplate capacity of 1.8 million mt/year and is scheduled to start production in 2014, using bauxite transported by rail from the partners' 4 million mt/year mine at Al Ba'aitha, which is also slated for commercial production in 2014. The aluminum complex will also have a 380,000 mt/year rolling mill at Ras Al Khair, which is expected to come on stream in 2013. Ken Wisnoski, President of Alcoa Global Primary Products Growth, said that the supply of uniformly high quality alumina is essential for efficient operation of a smelter at any time, but even more so during the critical commissioning and early operational periods of a new smelter. “The ability to source alumina that can be relied on for its consistent quality, shipment after shipment, is a critical advantage to us as we work to bring this world-class smelter on line in 2013,” said Wisnoski. “It's reassuring for us that Alcoa's Western Australian operations are solidly behind us in this joint venture. The international team deployed on this project includes many Australians and it is pleasing to see that contribution now augmented by the supply of world-class feedstock for the new smelter.” – SG/Agencies
