Emal is an anchor tenant of the Kizad industrial zone and currently produces 800kt/yr of aluminium.
Once the expansion is completed in 2015, capacity will increase to 1.3Mt/yr.
According to a report in The National, however, 'a shortage of gas is threatening to slow the pace of industrial development'.
Emal is a joint venture between Mubadala, an Abu Dhabi government-owned investment company, and Dubai Aluminium (Dubal).
Mubadala and Abu Dhabi's International Petroleum Investment Co are adding import capacity while the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company is increasing domestic gas production. Other gas projects are in the pipeline to help balance supply and demand. An offshore development will come on stream later this year and the Shah gas project will follow in 2014.
Emirates Steel plans to join Emal at Kizad and will expand by 1.6Mt capacity, but only when sufficient gas supplies have been found.