RIYADH — Ma'aden Aluminum Company (MAC), an affiliate of the Saudi Arabian Mining Company (Ma’aden), announced that it has signed a contract with Saudi Calcined Petroleum Coke Company (SCPC) for the supply of calcined petroleum coke (CPC) for use in its aluminum smelter facility in Ras Al Khair.

The agreement marks a significant step forward for Ma’aden’s Local Content program, which is driving to increase the value of goods and services in the mining industry supply chain that are produced in KSA. It is also a key contribution to KSA’s Vision 2030 objectives of diversifying sources of income and supporting the development of local content.

The contract signing took place between Eng. Ali Al-Qahtani, president of Ma’aden Aluminum Company, and Eng. Mohammad Albibi, Board member and managing director of the Saudi Calcined Petcoke Company.

Under the 5-year contract, which has an overall value of $40M per annum, MAC will receive an annual supply of 100,000 mt of CPC from the start of commercial production at the SCPC facility, in line with Ma’aden’s vision of localizing its CPC requirement to reach 320,000 mt per year. Production of CPC and supply to Ma’aden is planned to begin by the end of 2024.

On this occasion, Ma’aden CEO Abdulaziz Al Harbi, said: “This contract demonstrates the priority Ma’aden places on its commitment to developing the local mining sector in line with the Vision 2030 goal of diversifying the national economy and building new capabilities. It also consolidates our position as a leading company in the mining industry sector and supports the localization of the sector’s supply chain.”

Eng. Riyadh Al-Nassar, senior vice president of MAC, explained that the contract represents a key milestone for Ma’aden: “Petroleum Coke is one of our largest and most critical raw materials and fundamental to our aluminum smelting activities.

“Working with SCPC, we will be able to manufacture this product in the Kingdom, where historically we were required to source it from overseas. This will lead to the creation of more jobs and contribute to the prosperity of the local economy, as well as develop new national industrial capability and capacity.”

The Deputy Chairman at Saudi Calcined Petroleum Coke Ltd. Eng. Talal Bin Hamad Al-Wabel, added: “This agreement is a real breakthrough for the project’s implementation and represents Ma’aden’s support towards increasing the local content of the aluminum industry, and we appreciate Ma’aden for their keenness to activate this important agreement in our project implementation process.”

Board member and Managing Director of SCPC, Eng. Mohammed Albibi, expressed his contentment during the signing and stated: “This agreement is the most crucial element for implementing the project on the ground”.

Through its foreign partnerships, Ma’aden has in record time become the leading company for the development of the Saudi mining and minerals sector–the third pillar of Saudi industry — and one of the 15 largest mining companies in the world. Ma'aden is a key driver of Saudi Arabia's position as one of the top three global producers and exporters of phosphate fertilizers.

Ma'aden is among the largest multi-commodity mining companies in the Middle East, with 17 processing and manufacturing plants, and eight bauxite, aluminum and gold & base metals mines across the Kingdom, with several new sites under development as part of the company's long-term growth plans.

In addition to the aluminum and gold projects that continue to drive Ma'aden's position as a local mining industry leader, the company leads several giant phosphate projects in the north and east of the Kingdom, as part of its ambition to increase the Kingdom's contribution to global food security. — SG