Tulsa Port Selected For $4 Billion Aluminum Plant
Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt and the Oklahoma Department of Commerce announced May 16 that Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA) has selected the Tulsa Port of Inola as the preferred site for the first new primary aluminum production plant to be built in the United States in 45 years.
The facility will be located on more than 350 acres, with rail and waterway connections. Once complete, the facility will be the largest of its kind in the United States, producing billets, sheet ingots, high-purity aluminum and foundry alloys. The project will almost double the United States’ domestic aluminum production and will create 2,800 direct and indirect jobs.
EGA entered into a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Stitt on April 21. The agreement is contingent upon the Oklahoma legislature approving the terms outlined in the MOU.
“This is a monumental day for Oklahoma,” Stitt said. “We are proud to welcome Emirates Global Aluminium to our state and excited for the generational impact this investment will have on our future.”
Abdulnasser Bin Kalban, CEO of Emirates Global Aluminium, said, “The United States has been an important market for EGA for several decades, and we know there is strong demand for our high-quality metal ‘made in America.’ EGA has the skills, technology and capital to start rebuilding this great American industry, and in Oklahoma I am confident we will secure the right conditions to do so.”
The MOU was part of $200 billion in recently announced commercial agreements between the United States and the United Arab Emirates.
“Tulsa Ports is thrilled to welcome Emirates Global Aluminium to the Tulsa Port of Inola,” said Deanne Hughes, board chair, Tulsa Ports. “Their decision to locate here reflects the commitment of the port authority and our partners to the development of infrastructure that supports significant growth in our region. EGA’s presence will spur new permanent job creation, substantially increase waterway shipping on the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System and open the door to new opportunities for Oklahoma.”
Featured image caption: Emirates Global Aluminium CEO Abdulnasser Bin Kalban (left) and Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt sign a memorandum of understanding for a $4 billion aluminum plant at the Tulsa Port of Inola. (Photo courtesy of the Tulsa Department of Commerce)
