The Saudi Arabian Mining Company Ma'aden and Alcoa, the world leader in aluminum, on Saturday officially broke ground on a project that will become the world's largest fully integrated aluminum complex, at Ras Az Zawr in Saudi Arabia. In December 2009, the two companies announced their joint venture to develop a fully integrated, world-class aluminum industry in Saudi Arabia. In its initial phases, the joint venture will develop a fully integrated industrial complex, consisting of a bauxite mine at Al-Ba'aitha and an alumina refinery, aluminum smelter and rolling mill on the Arabian Gulf coast at Ras Az Zawr. Ground breaking has now officially begun to pave the way for construction of the smelter and rolling mill that will serve the packaging and other industries. At the ground-breaking ceremony, Abdullah Busfar, Ma'aden's vice president, Aluminum SBU and Project Management, said “the team have worked very hard over a long period of time to bring the project this far, and it is from today that we actually begin to see it on the ground in Ras Az Zawr. It is a landmark day not only for Ma'aden and Alcoa but also for the aluminum industry in the Gulf and for the diversification of Saudi industry.” Ken Wisnoski, president, Alcoa Global Primary Products, GEBA, pointed to the progress that has been made since the joint venture was formed. “Little more than a few months ago, we had an empty space on a map, an ambitious idea of the future and a combined team of dedicated, energized people. We also had the visionary commitment of the Kingdom's government to the establishment of world-class infrastructure at Ras Az Zawr. Now everything is coming together on schedule. In the near future, the place where we stand today will become the regional hub of the Kingdom's new aluminum industry, and home of the Middle East's first, and one of the world's most technologically advanced, food-grade can sheet rolling mills. What we see here today is proof of what can be achieved through the true spirit of partnership that exists within our joint venture.” The joint venture will become the world's preeminent and lowest-cost supplier of primary aluminum, alumina and aluminum products, with access to the growing markets of the Middle East and beyond. The complex will utilize critical infrastructure, including low-cost and clean power generation, as well as port and rail facilities, developed by the Kingdom's government. Bauxite feedstock for the planned alumina refinery will be transported by rail from the new mine at Al-Ba'itha, near Quiba, in the north. The smelter and rolling mill will begin operations in 2013 with the mine and refinery coming on stream in 2014. Ras Az Zawr is the location for Ma'aden's minerals industry complex, a 77 square km site, 90km north of Al-Jubail on the Arabian Gulf coast of Saudi Arabia. In addition to housing the alumina refinery, aluminum smelter and rolling mill for the Ma'aden Alcoa joint venture alumini-um industry, it is also the site for Ma'aden Phosphate Company's integrated chemical and fertilizer facility, due to begin operation in 2010. The phosphate complex consists of a phosphoric acid plant, a sulfuric acid plant, an ammonia plant, a DAP granulation plant, a co-generation plant and desalination plant, as well as related infrastructure. It will process phosphate concentrate brought by rail from Al-Jalamid. This will produce about 2.92 million mtpy of granular DAP, plus approximately 400,000 mtpy of excess ammonia and about 200,000 mtpy of excess phosphoric acid. Ras Az Zawr also has 25 square kilometers of land set aside for industrial expansion and downstream industry.
