Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA) is aiming to secure over 50% of its operational power from low-carbon sources, its CEO said.

Abdulnasser Bin Kalban told Zawya that a significant proportion of EGA's power requirements will be met from solar and nuclear power with further details to be announced closer to forthcoming COP28 event in Dubai.

He also confirmed that negotiations for the sale of EGA's captive power generation assets are at an advanced stage but didn't disclose a timeline.

In March 2022, TAQA (Abu Dhabi National Energy Company) joined forces with Dubal Holding to acquire EGA’s electricity generation assets in the UAE with both companies having an equal ownership stake.

The assets, located in Jebel Ali and Al Taweelah has a total of 6,474 megawatts of power generation capacity and utilises combined cycle gas turbines (CCGT) technology.

Kalban said the sale of the CCGT assets, which contribute more than 60% of EGA’s carbon emissions, will pave the way for the aluminium giant to inject more clean energy into its smelting operations, and produce more low-carbon aluminium products. 

"I believe that this initiative will be a win-win situation for all because it will open the door for more renewable power, and it will help us capture synergy between our system and the grid system," he said during a panel discussion at the Make it in the Emirates Forum in Abu Dhabi.

Post sale of power plants, EGA would source power from the grid through a long-term electricity supply agreement that includes an increasing proportion of clean energy procured by EWEC.  Moreover, EGA's 24x7 base load demand throughout the year also opens the door for EWEC to set up more renewable power projects.

“We are the best customers for solar power at the moment,” he noted.

Pending the final agreement, EGA is currently the third largest power producer in the UAE, after EWEC and DEWA.

Kalban said EGA is also seeking carbon capture solutions for CO2 emissions from the smelting process, noting that solutions currently available in the market are not efficient for low-concentration CO2 emitted during the smelting process.

While EGA has already pledged for net zero by 2050, he said the company is also working on a plan for an interim target for 2030, which is expected to be announced before COP 28.

(Writing by Anoop Menon anoop.menon@lseg.com; editing by Seban Scaria)