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Oklahoma Aluminum Smelter Could Double U.S. Capacity, Support 11,000 Jobs
A proposed 750,000-metric-ton aluminum smelter in Oklahoma could roughly double U.S. primary aluminum production capacity, reduce import dependence and support an average of 11,000 jobs nationwide each year, according to a September 2026 economic impact study.
By Paul Ploumis
Published September 30, 2026
Key Points
- The Oklahoma Primary Aluminum project is designed to produce 750,000 metric tons of primary aluminum annually.
- The project could roughly double existing U.S. primary aluminum production capacity and reduce import dependence from about 85% to roughly 70%.
- The facility is expected to create approximately 1,000 permanent direct jobs, with construction employing up to 4,000 workers.
- The study projects an average annual contribution of $2.2 billion to U.S. GDP and $1.45 billion to Oklahoma GDP.
- Full production is targeted for the third quarter of 2031.
MONTREAL (Scrap Monster): A proposed multibillion-dollar primary aluminum smelter in northeastern Oklahoma could significantly expand domestic production while generating billions of dollars in economic activity, according to a September 2026 economic impact study.
The Oklahoma Primary Aluminum (OPA) project, jointly sponsored by Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA) and Century Aluminum Company, is planned for the Tulsa Port of Inola in Rogers County.
Designed for annual production of 750,000 metric tons, the facility would become the first new primary aluminum smelter built in the United States since 1980.
Project Could Roughly Double U.S. Aluminum Capacity
The economic impact study projects that the Oklahoma facility could roughly double existing U.S. primary aluminum production capacity once fully operational.
The United States currently imports approximately 85% of the primary aluminum it consumes. The project is expected to reduce that dependence to roughly 70%, representing a decline of about 15 percentage points.
The scale of the proposed facility would make it a significant addition to domestic primary aluminum supply at a time when U.S. industries remain heavily dependent on imported metal.
SCRAPMONSTER EDGE
The production figure is what gives this project national significance. At 750,000 metric tons per year, the proposed Inola smelter would not represent an incremental capacity addition. It would materially expand the U.S. primary aluminum production base and reduce the share of domestic requirements supplied by imports.
Study Projects 11,000 Jobs and $2.2 Billion in Annual U.S. GDP
The facility itself is expected to create approximately 1,000 permanent direct jobs.
Construction between 2027 and 2030 could employ as many as 4,000 workers, with the facility expected to ramp up to full production by the third quarter of 2031.
The broader economic impact is projected to extend well beyond the plant's direct workforce.
According to the study, Oklahoma Primary Aluminum is expected to support an average of approximately 11,000 jobs nationwide each year over the life of the project and contribute an average of $2.2 billion annually to U.S. gross domestic product.
In Oklahoma alone, the project is expected to support approximately 7,000 jobs annually on average and contribute nearly $1.45 billion per year to state GDP.
Oklahoma Positioned for Major Aluminum Investment
The project would establish one of the largest new primary aluminum production investments in the United States in decades.
Its location at the Tulsa Port of Inola places the proposed smelter in Rogers County, where the project is expected to anchor significant manufacturing and employment activity if development proceeds as planned.
The combination of 750,000 metric tons of annual capacity, approximately 1,000 permanent direct positions and the wider employment effects projected by the study gives the development significance well beyond Oklahoma.
For the U.S. aluminum market, the central issue is domestic supply. With imports currently accounting for roughly 85% of primary aluminum consumption, a facility of this scale could materially alter the balance between domestic output and imported metal once full production is reached.
