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EGA's Ground-Breaking Move Towards Greener Alumina Refining | |
| Sumita Pawar |
Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA), the largest industrial company in the United Arab Emirates outside of oil and gas, has partnered with HILT CRC to advance research on the decarbonization of alumina refining.
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HILT CRC is an Australian cooperative research centre working towards technological developments in the decarbonization of the iron, cement, steel, and alumina industries.
As the largest premium aluminium producer in the world and the biggest industrial company in the UAE, EGA's partnership with HILT CRC marks a significant milestone in international research and technology efforts to tackle decarbonization challenges in alumina production.
Australia is the world's second-largest alumina refining country and the most significant alumina exporter. EGA is HILT's first industry partner with operations exclusively outside Australia. The company has bauxite mines and associated export facilities in Guinea; aluminium smelters in Dubai and Abu Dhabi; and the UAE's only alumina refinery, Al Taweelah, which began production in 2019.
HILT CRC is primarily focused on decarbonizing two processes in alumina refining, namely steam digestion and calcination. The two processes are responsible for the majority of greenhouse gas emissions from alumina refineries and pose significant decarbonization challenges at EGA's Al Taweelah alumina refinery.
In line with the UAE's Net Zero by 2050 Strategic Initiative, EGA has committed to reaching net zero by 2050 and has a roadmap to decarbonize all its operations. Joining HILT CRC enables EGA to collaborate with the Australian alumina refining industry in finding technological solutions to the most challenging decarbonization issues in alumina refining.
EGA has a history of collaborating with others on research and development, making it an excellent partner for HILT CRC.
The company was the first aluminium producer in the Middle East to become a member of the Aluminium Stewardship Initiative (ASI) and the first to achieve site certification to the ASI Performance Standard.
Felicity Lloyd, the CEO of HILT CRC, praised EGA's commitment to responsible metal production and its roadmap to reduce emissions to net zero by 2050. Lloyd predicted that EGA would make an important contribution to decarbonization research, benefiting the Australian alumina industry as well.
HILT CRC, which was established in June 2021 with A$39 million of Australian government funds, has 50 partners across industry, research, and government working collaboratively to develop and demonstrate low-carbon technologies that will help transition the steel, iron, alumina, and cement industries towards decarbonization and economic growth.