Century Aluminum, EGA partner on new primary aluminum smelter

Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA), Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and Century Aluminum Co., Chicago, have entered into a joint development agreement to build a new primary aluminum production plant in Oklahoma. Both parties will solely focus their greenfield development efforts in the United States on this site, the first greenfield primary aluminum smelter in the United States since 1980.

Per the agreement, EGA will own 60 percent of the joint venture, and Century will own the remaining 40 percent. The new plant, to be built in Inola, Oklahoma, as EGA previously announced, is expected to produce 750,000 metric tons of aluminum per year, which is larger than the 600,000 metric tons the company previously envisioned, more than doubling current U.S. production.

EGA expanded its U.S. presence earlier this decade with the acquisition of an 80 percent share in aluminum recycling company Spectro Alloys of Rosemount, Minnesota, which recently expanded its production capacity.

The Inola plant will create 1,000 permanent direct jobs at the facility and 4,000 jobs during construction, the companies say.

They add that the partnership combines EGA’s EX aluminum smelting design and technology, construction and operation with Century’s extensive history and expertise operating aluminum smelters in the United States using domestic supply chains.

Once completed, the Inola plant will be the largest ever primary aluminum production plant in the U.S., and the first built in nearly 50 years, the companies say. About 85 percent of the aluminum needs of American industries are met by imports. The new smelter will expand the domestic supply of this critical mineral and grow the American aluminum workforce, revitalizing U.S. aluminum expertise and know-how.

“We have made great progress preparing for the start of construction in Inola and welcome Century as a partner in this important project for the future of American industry and now both our companies," EGA CEO Abdulnasser Bin Kalban says. "EGA’s global skills, technology and capital are being joined by Century’s deep expertise and experience in the United States. Together we will make a huge contribution to rebuilding American aluminum production for the 21^st century.”

“Our partner EGA brings world-class smelting technology and construction expertise that are fast-tracking our collective efforts to realize President Trump’s vision of rapidly increasing domestic primary aluminum production,” Century Aluminum CEO Jesse Gary adds. “Key industries, such as automotive, aerospace, construction, packaging and, importantly, national defense, stand to benefit greatly from this expanded production of this critical metal, which will create thousands of new American manufacturing jobs. We are once again proving that President Trump’s leadership is working to spur investment and innovation to revitalize the U.S. aluminum industry, which is essential to our nation’s defense and the economic vitality of working-class communities across the country.”

Construction of the project is expected to start by the end of 2026, and production is expected to begin by the end of the decade. Detailed engineering work is underway, and negotiations with Public Service Co. of Oklahoma and the state of Oklahoma on a competitive long-term power supply are progressing, according to the companies.

The plant will be built at the industrial park at Tulsa Port of Inola, located on the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System, which is connected to the Mississippi River system for efficient bulk freight movement.

The Inola plant is expected to drive the development of a regional aluminum-focused industrial hub in Oklahoma, creating thousands of additional jobs and economic opportunities in the upstream supply chain and in new downstream aluminum manufacturing, the companies say.

The move is the latest in Century Aluminum's efforts to increase domestic primary aluminum production capacity.

The company announced in August of last year that it would invest nearly $50 million to restart more than 50,000 metric tons of idled production at its Mt. Holly, South Carolina, smelter, which was operating at 75 percent of capacity at that time. The company signed an extension of its power agreement with South Carolina Public Service Authority (Santee Cooper) in early October 2025, securing the power supply needed for that smelter through 2031, marking a critical step in its plans to restart that facility’s idled capacity.

In early 2025, Century Aluminum entered Phase 1 of a four-phase agreement under a Department of Energy (DOE) grant initiative, originally extended in March 2024, to begin award negotiations for up to $500 million in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act funding to build a new aluminum smelter as part of the Industrial Demonstrations Program (IDP).

Recycling Today has contacted the company to learn more about the status of that grant and if it will be applied to the Oklahoma project.