EMAL Cast House wins Kaizen Gold Award at world quality day

Abu Dhabi, 02 Januray, 2011: In its first year at full production, Emirates Aluminium (EMAL) has triumphed at the Dubai Quality Group's (DQG) 3rd Continual Improvement & Innovation Symposium, with its Cast House receiving a Gold Kaizen Award for its application of advanced quality methodologies. The accolade is a significant win for the Al Taweelah based smelter's Cast House, which - despite running business systems for just one year - managed to top organisations that have practiced continuous improvement for up to three decades.

Commenting on the Award, EMAL President and CEO, Saeed Fadhel Al Mazrooei, said: "Through strong teamwork and communication, the EMAL Cast House team were able to increase billet production from 95% to 100% in just 12 months, generating a massive 5% boost in revenue with zero additional cost to the smelter. The recognition of this achievement by DQG adds to the mounting proof that EMAL is actively realising its purpose as a key project of the 2030 Vision to diversify the economy for the growth and prosperity of this nation."

Held globally on the second Thursday of November every year, World Quality Day aims to promote awareness of quality to individuals and organisations globally, and is celebrated locally by the Dubai Department of Economic Development that created DQG. DGQ is a non-profit organisation of 2,000 individuals representing over 380 prominent organizations from both the private and the public sectors.

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EMAL is a state of the art aluminium smelter complex supplying the world with high quality metal. The advanced Greenfield smelter in Al Taweelah currently uses DX Reduction Cell Technology to produce 750,000 tonnes of aluminium annually. This will increase to 1.3 metric million tonnes by the end of 2014 upon completion of Phase II and the installation of the new generation DX+ Reduction Technology, making it the largest single site smelter in the world. Approval of a $4.5bn investment for Phase II, combined with the US$5.7bn Phase I joint venture between Dubai Aluminium and Mubadala Investment Company, makes EMAL one of the largest industrial projects in the UAE outside oil and gas and one of the key projects leading the diversification of the UAE's economy.

EMAL currently supplies over 200 customers around the globe with high quality aluminium which is available as sow, standard ingots, sheet ingots and extrusion billets. ISO9000 certified sow and standard ingots are traded on the London Metals Exchange. An advanced infrastructure at the Al Taweelah site provides customers with guaranteed, reliable and sustainable production and distribution. The site currently includes a 2000 MW power plant, which will increase to 3,000MW by 2014, carbon plant and flexible casthouse with a wide variety of world class products. A purpose-built wharf at Khalifa Port shortens the supply chain of raw materials direct from sea to smelter.

EMAL uses the most sustainable technologies available worldwide to reduce emissions in line with Environment Agency Abu Dhabi requirements to minimise its carbon footprint.
EMAL has created 2,000 jobs with Emiratization at the core of its employment strategy, which will rise to 3,000 upon completion of PhaseII. The company has also introduced scholarship programs to provide technical training for local graduates with guaranteed job opportunities. EMAL's community engagement includes open days for the local community and support for social, sports and cultural organisations.

For further Information, please contact:
Rosine Feghali- Emirates Aluminium
Tel: 02 509 2290
Email: rosine@emal.ae

Nick Langmead, Impact Porter Novelli
Tel: 050 884 7964
Email: n.langmead@ipn.ae