Reduction Cell Technology Development at Dubal Through 20 Years

Abstract

The Dubai Aluminium Company Limited (DUBAL) smelter commenced operations in 1979 with 3 potlines comprising 360 prebaked cells operating at 150 kA and producing 135,000 tonnes of aluminium annually.

By 1990, a series of continuous, innovative improvements to the cell components and operational practices radically transformed the original cell technology to operate at 180 kA. Further, an expansion of 139 cells in Potline 4 resulted in a total of 499 cells with an annual production of ~250,000 tonnes aluminium.

By 1996, having developed and tested, jointly with Comalco of Australia, five prototype reduction cells termed CD-20 at 200 kA, DUBAL installed 240 cells of this design in Potline 5. Total cells thereby increased to 744 and annual production to 375,000 tonnes.

In 1999, another 240 CD20 cells were commissioned in Potline 6 increasing annual production to 536,000 tonnes of high quality aluminium, whilst generating 1400 MW captive power through natural gas-fuelled turbines.

This paper tracks 20 years of DUBAL’s continuous advancement in reduction cell technology, both in terms of improvements and development.