Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA) started hot metal production in the pilot reduction cells for EX, the company’s next generation aluminum smelting technology. Located at the Al Taweelah smelter, the EX pilot project is a key foundation for future low-carbon primary aluminum production at EGA.
“First hot metal from these EX technology reduction cells is a key milestone for both our technology leadership and future growth at EGA,” said Abdulnasser Bin Kalban, chief executive officer of EGA. “Our goal is to expand our primary aluminium production with the most advanced and smart aluminium smelting technology, to build the smelter of the future and to create further value for EGA through smelting technology partnerships around the world.”
EGA has developed its own aluminum smelting technology in the UAE for more than 35 years — using this technology in every smelter expansion since the 1990s and retrofitting all its older production lines. The company was the first UAE industrial company to license its core process technology internationally, in a deal with Aluminium Bahrain in 2016 for use in the Bahraini company’s Potline 6 expansion project.
The EX cell technology is EGA’s 10th generation smelting technology, following DX+ Ultra, which is already one of the most efficient smelting technologies in the global aluminum industry. EX has been designed to produce even more aluminum with less energy per tonne and lower emissions. The reduction cells provide higher productivity per square meter compared to our latest DX+ Ultra technology. The next generation technology is expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions per tonne of aluminum produced by around 5% for the more productive variant and around 12% for the lower energy variant.
Construction began on the pots for the EX pilot plant in late 2024. In addition to progressing the industrialization of the technology, the pilot will also be used to prove the most advanced Industry 4.0 capabilities in the aluminum industry. All EGA’s existing Industry 4.0 use case will be deployed in the new technology and the company is developing new state-of-the-art digital capabilities centered on artificial intelligence and advanced data analytics.