Century CEO says Okla. smelter online sooner if permits expedited, brushes off power concerns

Century Aluminum CEO Jesse Gary said his company could start its smelter in Oklahoma ahead of schedule if the permitting process moved more quickly.

The Chicago-based primary aluminum producer is building the Oklahoma smelter with Emirates Global Aluminum (EGA). The company has said construction could begin at the end of 2026 and production by the end of the decade.

Michael Cowden

Editor-in-Chief of CRU’s Communities, including Steel Market Update and Aluminum Market Update, Michael has covered the steel industry since 2007. He specializes in flat-rolled steel but has also reported extensively on steel long products, pipe and tube, and aluminum markets. Before joining SMU, he worked as a reporter for Fastmarkets AMM in Chicago, the Associated Press in Pittsburgh, and The Cambodia Daily in Phnom Penh. Michael also held roles in copy editing and marketing at the University of Chicago Press. He holds a BA in English from the University of Chicago and an MSJ in Journalism from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism.