OKLAHOMA CITY (OBV) — The Oklahoma Department of Commerce announced that Century Aluminum has entered a joint development agreement with Emirates Global Aluminium to build a primary aluminum smelter in Inola. The facility would be the first new primary aluminum smelter constructed in the United States in nearly 50 years.
Under the agreement, EGA will own 60% of the venture and Century Aluminum will own 40%. The plant is expected to produce approximately 750,000 tonnes of aluminum per year.
Commerce officials said the Inola facility is projected to create about 1,000 permanent direct jobs, more than 3,000 additional indirect jobs, and roughly 4,000 jobs during construction. The project is intended to establish a domestic aluminum supply chain and support onshoring of critical mineral production.
“This project represents one of the most transformational economic development opportunities in Oklahoma’s history,” said John Budd, CEO of the Oklahoma Department of Commerce, citing the scale of the investment and the role of both companies in advancing domestic production capacity.
