EGA and ENEC announce the UAE’s first delivery of low-carbon aluminum
Global demand for low-carbon aluminum is projected to triple by 2040, and EGA is committed to playing a significant role in this growth
Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA) and Emirates Nuclear Energy Company (ENEC) announced the UAE’s inaugural delivery of low-carbon aluminum. This aluminum is generated using electricity produced at the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant in the Al Dhafra region of Abu Dhabi, UAE.
EGA is marketing this low-carbon aluminum under the brand name MinimAL. The metal will be supplied to CANEX Aluminum, Egypt’s aluminum downstream producer. EGA’s new product positions the UAE as a reliable supplier of low-carbon industrial materials to global markets, expanding EGA’s low-carbon metal portfolio for both local and international customers, said a statement.
Generating the electricity necessary for aluminum smelting and production accounts for 60% of the global aluminum industry’s greenhouse gas emissions. ENEC’s Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant provides access to abundant, clean electricity 24/7 from nuclear energy, which is crucial for decarbonising the UAE’s industrial sector.
Abdulnasser Bin Kalban, Chief Executive Officer of Emirates Global Aluminium said, “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. We are glad to be working with ENEC to supply more low carbon aluminium to the world.”
Mohamed Al Hammadi, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of ENEC added, “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. Through the abundant electricity generated at Barakah, we have unlocked the significant, proven and long-term benefits of nuclear energy to power the UAE’s low-carbon economy for decades to come.”
Mutassem Daaboul, Managing Director of CANEX Aluminum commented, “At CANEX, we believe true sustainability is built into every layer of production – from the raw material to the final product. Our upcycling model already transforms waste into value-added products. Now, with MinimAL, we are taking another step forward by reducing embedded emissions at the very beginning of our process. This partnership with EGA reflects our shared commitment to responsible innovation.”
CANEX Aluminum said that it has become the inaugural customer to utilise EGA’s MinimAL technology in the production of advanced products for various applications, including infrastructure, solar energy, transportation, and architectural design.
The clean electricity generated by the Barakah plant is certified through the UAE’s Clean Energy Certification program, adhering to the International REC Standard (I-REC) protocols to ensure traceability and credibility. This power is supplied through Emirates Water and Electricity Company (EWEC) via the national grid.
The Barakah plant has the capability to generate a 40 terawatt-hours of clean electricity annually, which accounts for 25% of the UAE’s electricity requirements. This amount of clean electricity is equivalent to the annual total power demand of Switzerland. By producing carbon-free electricity from Barakah, the plant avoids the emission of 22.4m tons of carbon annually, which is equivalent to removing 4.8m cars from the road.
In a groundbreaking achievement, EGA holds the distinction of being the first company globally to produce aluminum using solar power. In 2024, they produced 80 thousand tonnes of CelestiAL, the statement concluded.
