Qatar and Norway inaugurated Monday a 5.9-billion-dollar project for an aluminium smelter south of Doha which will have an annual production capacity of 585,000 tonnes. The Qatar Aluminium (Qatalum) plant, a result of a joint venture between Qatar Petroleum and the Norwegian company Hydro established in 2006, was inaugurated by Qatar's Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani in the presence of Norway's Crown Prince Haakon. 'The total cost of the plant has reached 5.9 billion dollars,' and has it a 'production capacity of 585,000 metric tonnes per year,' Qatari Energy Minister Abdullah bin Hamad al-Attiyah told a news conference with Norwegian Trade and Industry Minister, Trond Giske. 'We are planning for a second stage in which we will increase the production capacity... and we will export to all countries as we do not have a specific quota.' The minister added that Qatar was now 'one of the world's largest aluminium producers,' but did not provide figures. The project occupies an area of around 2.7 square kilometres (1.08 square miles). 