Dubai: Dr Abdullah Belhaif Al Nuaimi, Minister of Climate Change and Environment, today toured Emirates Global Aluminium’s (EGA’s) site in Dubai. He also met with EGA’s top management to discuss ways to enhance the company’s contribution to the UAE’s environmental efforts and to setting the country on a course towards carbon neutrality.
The tour was part of a series of ministerial visits aimed at encouraging public and private sector entities to lower their carbon footprint, and highlighting prime examples of successful ventures.
“Cutting down on carbon emissions is the cornerstone of our fight against climate change. The Ministry of Climate Change and Environment seeks to motivate the private sector to step up its role in the country’s climate action though emissions reduction with the ultimate goal of reaching net zero.” - Dr Al Nuaimi
The Minister applauded the company’s environmental commitments, and invited other private sector players to join the battle against climate change.
Since 2010, EGA has invested almost $1 billion in environmental technologies and solutions with the aim of reducing carbon emissions from its operations and implementing sustainable production criteria through material recycling and treatment.
In 2019, EGA’s greenhouse gas emissions intensity in smelting and casting was 38 per cent lower than the industry average, and its total release of perfluorocarbons (PFC) – greenhouse gases produced during momentary imbalances in the aluminum smelting process – was 91 per cent below the global average.
EGA is a global industry leader in the productive re-use of waste streams from aluminum smelting as feedstock for other industries, such as spent pot lining, which it supplies to UAE cement manufacturing companies. EGA has announced that it will transfer almost all of its carbon dust, another byproduct of aluminum smelting, for use as an alternative fuel, also by the UAE cement industry. Within two years, the move saved 36,000 tons of CO2 emissions.
In addition, EGA signed an agreement with Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA), under which DEWA will provide the company’s smelter with solar power from the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, making the UAE the first country in the world to produce aluminum using solar power.
