Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA), a leading aluminum producer based in the United Arab Emirates, and National Aluminium Company (NALCO), one of India’s leading aluminum producers, signed an agreement to transfer EGA’s proprietary DX+ Ultra aluminum smelting technology for NALCO’s major smelter expansion project in India.
“We are glad EGA, a technology champion in the global aluminum industry, is our smelting technology partner for the Anugola expansion project,” said Brijendra Pratap Singh, chairman and managing director of NALCO. “With EGA’s DX+ Ultra, this project will be one of the most efficient aluminium smelters in India. We look forward to the support of EGA’s technologists throughout construction and start-up to ensure the successful deployment of EGA’s technology in India.”
NALCO plans to build a 500,000 tonne per year brownfield smelter expansion in Anugola, Odisha. Under the agreement, EGA will provide NALCO with a license to use DX+ Ultra technology to build the reduction cells for this new smelter. DX+ Ultra is among the most efficient aluminum smelting technology in the world and was selected for the project through a bidding process. EGA will also provide expert support for the development of the project and will also train NALCO employees to operate the reduction cells.
EGA has developed its own aluminum smelting technology in the UAE for more than 30 years, over ten technology generations. All EGA’s smelter expansions since the 1990s have used its own proprietary technology, and the company has retrofitted all its older production lines. EGA was the first UAE industrial company to license its core process technology internationally, when the company successfully licensed its DX+ Ultra smelting technology to Aluminium Bahrain (Alba) in 2016, for its Line 6 expansion project.
“EGA’s industry-leading technology development has been an essential part of the competitiveness of our own aluminum production for decades,” said Abdulnasser Bin Kalban, CEO or EGA. “We are also the technology provider of choice for our global industry, creating further revenue streams for our company. NALCO’s selection of EGA’s smelting technology for its Anugola expansion is another milestone in this important journey. We look forward to working with NALCO as their technology provider to make this project a great success.”