Abu Dhabi Basic Industries Corporation (Adbic) has said that the company has no plans to build an aluminium smelter in the Western Region and that it will instead concentrate its efforts on developing Abu Dhabi’s aluminium downstream industry.

Adbic chief executive, Jamal Al-Dhaheri, says that the company’s current plans to construct a world-scale metals park around the Emirates Aluminium (Emal) smelter at Taweelah in northern Abu Dhabi is the main focus at present.

“For the time being, Adbic does not see a need for additional primary aluminum capacity in Abu Dhabi,” Al-Dhaheri says. “We are focusing our efforts on the development of the downstream sector [and] working closely with Emal to utilise the existing capacity.”

Adbic is currently planning to build three new aluminium downstream facilities at Khalifa Port and Industrial Zone (KPIZ) in Taweelah that will form the basis of the proposed metals park. The company has signed a joint venture agreement with Dubai’s Gulf Extrusions for a $122m aluminium extrusion plant with a capacity of 50,000 tonnes-a-year (t/y) and Bahrain’s Midal Cables for a $100m, 150,000-t/y rod and conductor plant.

Adbic is also planning to build a $1.5bn, 500,000-t/y rolling mill and has said that talks with a potential joint venture partner are ongoing.