The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and Century Aluminum have announced progress on the construction of a new primary aluminum smelter in Inola, Oklahoma. The project is supported by a DOE grant and marks the first American aluminum smelter to be built since 1980.
U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright met with Century Aluminum executives to recognize the milestone. “Today, I was honored to meet with the team that will be delivering America’s first new aluminum smelter of the 21st century,” said Secretary Wright. “This project could not have been realized without President Trump’s commitment to revitalizing this country’s manufacturing base and reducing our reliance on foreign suppliers. Century Aluminum’s joint venture shows how President Trump’s economic policies are encouraging global companies to partner with U.S. firms, build here in America, and create good-paying American jobs.”
The facility is expected to become the largest primary aluminum production plant in the United States, capable of producing over 500,000 tons of high-quality aluminum annually. This includes about 20,000 tons of high-purity aluminum for national defense needs. On January 26, 2026, Century Aluminum announced a partnership with Emirates Global Aluminum (EGA) for joint development of the plant. EGA’s investment followed a strategic partnership agreement between the United Arab Emirates and the United States made in Abu Dhabi on May 15, 2025.
In 2025, DOE’s Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations awarded $500 million for this project to support construction efforts and demonstrate domestic smelting viability while decreasing dependence on imports. In recent years, U.S. primary aluminum production has declined significantly; currently only four smelters operate nationwide with an output totaling about 683,500 metric tons per year—far below previous levels when as many as 33 sites produced up to five million tons annually.
Secretary Wright stated that “President Trump is ending this dangerous trend and re-shoring manufacturing by safeguarding and expanding our Nation’s domestic production of critical minerals and materials through tariffs and other trade policies, which have made investments like this in American projects possible.”
Recent federal initiatives related to energy include programs such as a $225 million effort funded by President Biden's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law aimed at supporting implementation of updated building energy codes across states (https://www.energy.gov/articles/biden-harris-administration-launches-225-million-program-lower-utility-bills-through-more). Additionally, DOE has launched more than 140 programs supporting clean energy investments in disadvantaged communities under President Biden's Justice40 Initiative (https://www.energy.gov/articles/doe-announces-more-140-programs-supporting-president-bidens-justice40-initiative).
The new Oklahoma facility represents both an industrial milestone for U.S.-based manufacturing and an example of public-private collaboration aimed at strengthening domestic supply chains for critical materials.
