EGA and ENEC deliver first aluminium produced with carbon-free nuclear energy

Zawya

a day ago

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates: Emirates Global Aluminium, the largest 'premium aluminium' producer in the world, and Emirates Nuclear Energy Company (ENEC) today announced the UAE's first delivery of low-carbon aluminium using electricity generated at Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant, located in the Al Dhafra region of Abu Dhabi, UAE.
EGA is marketing this type of low-carbon aluminium under the product brand MinimAL. The metal will be supplied to CANEX Aluminum, Egypt's leading aluminium downstream producer.
EGA's new product positions the UAE as a reliable supplier of low-carbon industrial materials to global markets and expands EGA's low-carbon metal portfolio for our local and global customers.
Generating the electricity required for aluminium smelting and production accounts for around 60 per cent of the global aluminium industry's greenhouse gas emissions. ENEC's Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant provides access to abundant clean electricity 24/7 from nuclear energy which is essential 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.'
His Excellency Mohamed Al Hammadi, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of ENEC, said: '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.'
CANEX Aluminum is the first customer to use EGA's MinimAL to produce advanced products for infrastructure, solar energy, transportation, and architectural applications.
Mutassem Daaboul, Managing Director of CANEX Aluminum, said: '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.'
The clean electricity is certified through the UAE's Clean Energy Certification programme using International REC Standard (I-REC) protocols to ensure traceability and credibility. The power is supplied through Emirates Water and Electricity Company (EWEC) via the national grid.
The Barakah plant generates 40 terawatt-hours of clean electricity annually, which is around 25 per cent of the UAE's electricity needs, and equivalent to the annual total power demand of Switzerland. 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.
EGA was the first company globally to produce aluminium using solar power, with 80 thousand tonnes of CelestiAL made in 2024.
EGA also produces recycled aluminium, marketed under the product brand RevivAL, at its plants in the United States and Germany. In the UAE, EGA is building the UAE's largest aluminium recycling plant at Al Taweelah. The facility is expected to start production in the first half of 2026.