EGA makes low-carbon aluminium breakthrough
Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA) has made a breakthrough in the production of low-carbon aluminium. The production used clean electricity generated by nuclear energy at Emirates Nuclear Energy Company (ENEC’s) Barakah plant, in Al Dhafra, Abu Dhabi, UAE.
The low-carbon aluminium, named MinimAL, will be supplied to CANEX Aluminium, a downstream producer in Egypt. This is part of the UAE’s expansion into supplying low-carbon industrial materials to global markets.
Abdulnasser Bin Kalban, CEO of EGA, stated: “Global demand for low carbon aluminium is expected to triple by 2040, and EGA aims to play an important role in this growth. MinimAL is our latest low-carbon product, made possible through the UAE’s investment in nuclear power generation.”
The electricity is certified through the UAE’s Clean Energy Certification programme using International REC Standard (I-REC) to ensure credibility. The power is supplied through Emirates Water and Electricity Company (EWEC) via the national grid.
“This milestone shows how nuclear energy is boosting national energy security and enabling the UAE’s industrial decarbonisation in parallel, reliably powering energy-intensive sectors like aluminium production with clean electricity 24/7,” said Mohamed Al Hammadi, Managing Director and CEO of ENEC.
The Barakah plant will generate 40 terawatt-hours of clean electricity annually, which is around 25% of the UAE’s electricity needs. Carbon-free electricity from Barakah avoids 22.4 million tons of carbon emissions each year, equivalent to removing 4.8 million cars from the road.
