QATAR: State-of-the art aluminium smelting plant opens in Doha

Record ID: 513233

  • Title: QATAR: State-of-the art aluminium smelting plant opens in Doha
  • Date: 13th April 2010
  • Summary: CLOSE EMIR GIANT TELEVISION SCREEN SHOWING QATALUM PUBLICITY TRAILER QATARI GIRL INSTALLING PIECE OF QATALUM LOGO NORWEGIAN GIRL FIXING THE SECOND PIECE OF LOGO QATARI BOY FIXING THE THIRD PIECE OF LOGO AUDIENCE EMIR OF QATAR AND CROWN PRINCE OF NORWAY SCREEN
  • Embargoed: 28th April 2010 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Qatar
  • Country: Qatar
  • Topics: Industry
  • Reuters ID: LVA89RBKTZTA68QSNSI6YUOYIRTG
  • Story Text: Qatar has opened a multi-billion dollar state-of-the art aluminium smelter with a capacity to produce 585,000 metric tonnes per year of premium quality aluminium ingots.
    On Monday (April 12), the Emir of Qatar Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani officially inaugurated the much-anticipated Qatar aluminium plant, Qatalum, which is being hailed by Qatar as the world's most efficient and environmentally friendly aluminium smelter.
    Qatalum was established in 2006 as a joint partnership between Qatar Petroleum and the Norwegian company Hydro. The state-of-the-art facility in Mesaieed Industrial City, outside the capital Doha, has a capacity to produce 585,000 metric tons per year of premium quality aluminium ingots.
    The opening ceremony was attended by high level officials from Qatar and Norway, including Crown Prince Haakon Magnus of Norway, and representatives from Qatalum's shareholders: Qatar Petroleum and Hydro.
    Prince Haakon described Qatalum as the fruit of cooperation between the two countries:
    "This is a tangible result of that cooperation that started approximately 4 years ago. And this I think is a new chapter with the opening of Qatalum today. I think it is a good day for both Qatar, Norway and Hydro as well".
    Speaking at a press conference following the inauguration ceremony, Qatari Minister of Energy and Industry, Abdullah Bin Hamad Al Attiyah, said Qatalum reflected the Gulf region's ambition and ability to compete in this competitive sector.
    "The Gulf region has a great position due to its natural resources. The region is able to compete and establish an integrated aluminium industry," he said.
    The multi-billion dollar facility is hailed as one of the most environmentally-friendly aluminium smelters in the world. According to Qatalum's literature, to ensure its emissions meet world quality standards, process gasses from the reduction process go through dry and wet scrubbing in the Fume Treatment Plants.
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