Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA) and Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) have signed an agreement to jointly produce solar-powered aluminum, making the United Arab Emirates (UAE) the first country in the world to produce aluminum using the power of the sun, EGA said in a statement.
Under the agreement, DEWA will supply EGA smelter with 560,000 megawatt-hours of solar power per annum from the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park to produce 40,000mt of aluminum in the first year with the potential for further expansion.
EGA is expected to supply solar aluminum to global customers under the new product name CelestiAL.
Both companies said that they aim to promote a green economy in UAE and achieve the goals of the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050 in diversifying energy sources and providing 75pc of Dubai’s energy production capacity from clean energy sources by 2050.
Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park in Dubai is a single-site solar energy project in the world with a projected capacity of 5,000 megawatts by 2030. It uses photovoltaic panels and concentrated solar energy technologies. EGA is a state-owned premium aluminum producer.