On January 27th, 2026, a significant news broke out in the global aluminum industry. Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA) and Century Aluminum jointly announced a cooperation agreement, under which both parties will jointly invest in the construction of a primary aluminum production plant with an annual capacity of 750,000 tons in the United States. The implementation of this project will not only significantly enhance the supply capacity of high-end aluminum materials in the United States, but also inject strong impetus into local employment and the development of downstream manufacturing industries.
According to the cooperation details disclosed by both parties, the joint venture established this time will adopt a split share structure, with EGA holding 60% of the shares and Century Aluminum holding 40%. Both parties will leverage their respective core strengths to advance project operations: As the fifth largest aluminum producer globally, EGA boasts profound accumulation in high-end aluminum smelting technology and global supply chain layout. Its independently developed DX and DX+ electrolytic cell technologies are industry-leading, and its existing electrolytic aluminum production capacity exceeds 2.7 million tons, demonstrating strong resource and technological capabilities. Century Aluminum, on the other hand, has been deeply rooted in the US domestic market for many years, possessing precise control over local industrial policies and downstream demand scenarios, and is capable of providing strong support for project implementation and market expansion.
The implementation of the project will bring about a significant employment boosting effect. According to reports, the construction period of the project is expected to create approximately 4,000 construction jobs, covering multiple fields such as engineering construction, equipment installation, and supporting facility construction. Once the project is officially put into operation, it will continue to provide about 1,000 permanent jobs, covering core areas such as production operations, technology research and development, and operation management. This has important practical significance for driving local employment and activating regional economic vitality.
From the perspective of industry value, this project precisely meets the practical needs of the domestic aluminum supply in the United States. In recent years, global aluminum demand has continued to rise, especially in high-end manufacturing sectors such as new energy vehicles, photovoltaic energy storage, and aerospace. The demand for high quality aluminum has shown explosive growth. However, there are significant shortcomings in the current domestic aluminum production capacity in the United States, with some high-end aluminum materials relying on imports. Moreover, due to factors such as tight electricity supply, the stability of existing production capacity faces challenges.
The completion of this 750,000 ton primary aluminum production plant will effectively fill the gap in the domestic supply of high-end aluminum materials in the United States, providing a solid raw material guarantee for the upgrading of downstream manufacturing industries, and facilitating the implementation of the US manufacturing industry’s return and industrial upgrading strategy.
Industry experts have stated that against the backdrop of the global aluminum industry’s transition towards green and high-end development, the cooperation between EGA and Century Aluminum stands as a paradigm of cross border collaboration. On one hand, the project will facilitate the implementation of EGA’s advanced aluminum smelting technology in the North American market, further optimizing its global production capacity layout. On the other hand, it will inject new growth momentum into the US domestic aluminum industry, alleviating supply side vulnerabilities. It is anticipated that after the project is put into operation, it will not only enhance the core competitiveness of both parties in the global aluminum market but also provide new cooperation ideas for the coordinated development of the global aluminum industry.
Post time: Jan-27-2026