The inauguration was attended by Her Excellency Dr. Amna bint Abdullah Al Dahak, Minister of Climate Change and Environment, Her Excellency Dr. Shaikha Salem Al Dhaheri, Secretary General of the Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi (EAD), EGA’s Chairman Homaid Al Shimmari, EGA’s Vice Chairman His Excellency Saeed Al Tayer, and members of EGA’s Board and senior management team.

Her Excellency Dr Amna bint Abdullah Al Dahak, Minister of Climate Change and Environment, said: “Recycling is the cornerstone of the UAE’s Circular Economy Policy which aims to transform the nation into a global hub for green development by shifting from linear to circular production and consumption, enhancing resource efficiency, and minimising waste. Aluminium represents one of our greatest opportunities to drive this transition from linear to circular model of production. It is infinitely recyclable, protecting our ecosystems while fuelling a sustainable, low-carbon economy. Recycling aluminium waste requires up to 95 per cent less energy[1] compared to producing new primary aluminium from raw ore, saving significant energy and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

“Emirates Global Aluminium has been a pioneer of our nation’s industry for decades, and today, they are leading the charge as our national champion in aluminium recycling. I congratulate EGA on the strategic growth of its recycling business both here in the UAE and globally, proving that industrial leadership and climate action go hand in hand.”

Al Taweelah recycling plant has a production capacity of 185,000 tonnes per year. The plant processes post-consumer aluminium scrap, and some pre-consumer aluminium scrap, into low-carbon, high-quality ‘premium aluminium’ billets and T-bars, marketed by EGA under the product name RevivAL.

EGA also blends recycled metal with primary aluminium produced using solar power, marketed as CelestiAL-R, and with nuclear power, sold as MinimAL-R.

Most aluminium scrap generated in the UAE has historically been exported for processing outside the country and is lost to the national economy. Al Taweelah recycling plant offers the processing capacity locally making  EGA the largest consumer of aluminium scrap in the UAE.

Constructing Al Taweelah recycling plant took 4 million hours of work, which was completed with zero injuries requiring time off work. The project required more than 26,300 cubic metres of concrete, more than the volume of 10 Olympic-size swimming pools, as well as over 4,600 metric tonnes of structural steel, almost two-thirds of the iron weight of the Eiffel Tower.

Al Taweelah recycling plant began producing recycled aluminium in February. Final commissioning work was paused following an Iranian attack on Khalifa Economic Zone Abu Dhabi on 28 March and resumed during April. Recycled cast metal production resumed in early May. Ramp-up to full production is expected to take up to six months, in line with the original ramp-up timeline, depending on scrap availability.

Abdulnasser Bin Kalban, Chief Executive Officer of Emirates Global Aluminium, said: “The inauguration of Al Taweelah recycling plant is a major milestone in EGA’s development of a global aluminium recycling business. This new plant turns aluminium waste generated in the UAE and elsewhere into new aluminium that makes modern life possible around the world. With this project, we have added a new industrial activity to EGA’s operations in the UAE, in line with Make it in the Emirates and the UAE’s Operation 300bn industrial growth strategy.”

With Al Taweelah recycling plant and a planned aluminium recycling plant acquisition in Italy, EGA’s aluminium recycling capacity has reached more than 400,000 tonnes per year across the UAE, Europe and the United States, with an additional 200,000 tonnes of capacity under development in Europe and the United States.

EGA acquired recycling plants in Germany and the United States in 2024, and is growing both operations.

EGA is expanding EGA Leichtmetall in Germany more than six-fold, with a second plant in a new location near Hannover adding 150,000 tonnes of capacity and expected to be complete during 2028.

In Minnesota in the United States, EGA Spectro Alloys completed a 65,000 tonnes per year expansion in 2025 and is currently developing a second phase of the expansion to add a further 35,000 tonnes per year of capacity during 2027.

In April, EGA announced its intention to acquire an 80 per cent stake in Italian aluminium recycling company Eco Green. The acquisition remains subject to regulatory approvals.

Completion of construction is expected by the end of the first quarter of 2026.

EGA’s Al Taweelah recycling plant will have a production capacity of 185 thousand tonnes per year, making it the UAE’s largest. The new plant will process post-consumer aluminium scrap, and pre-consumer aluminium scrap, which will be blended with primary aluminium into low-carbon, high-quality billets and T Bars. EGA markets aluminium with recycled content under the product brand RevivAL. 

EGA also blends recycled metal with primary aluminium produced using solar power, marketed as CelestiAL-R, and with nuclear power, sold as MinimAL-R.

Commissioning of scrap sorting equipment began in December at the giant new aluminium recycling plant. Al Taweelah recycling plant’s scrap sorting system can shred and segregate up to 150 thousand tonnes of scrap per year, using magnetic, mechanical and x-ray segregation technology.

Al Taweelah recycling plant is equipped with a 90 thousand tonnes per year melting furnace, which operates at around 750 degrees Celsius. The melting furnace uses heat regeneration burners to further improve efficiency.

Liquid recycled metal is transferred to two 90 tonne capacity holding furnaces, which are used to blend recycled metal and primary aluminium from EGA’s smelter, and adjust metal chemistry

On site, work continues to complete the casting and homogenisation stations to produce finished recycled aluminium products.

Abdulnasser Bin Kalban, Chief Executive Officer of Emirates Global Aluminium, said: “Aluminium’s infinite recyclability is a key reason our metal is an essential material for the development of a more sustainable society. We are now reaching the final stages of construction on this important project, which will turn aluminium scrap generated in the UAE and elsewhere into new high quality aluminium products that make modern life possible.”

Recycling aluminium requires 95 per cent less energy than making primary aluminium, generating a fraction of the greenhouse gas emissions. Global demand for recycled aluminium is expected to double by 2040.

EGA is expanding in aluminium recycling.

EGA Leichtmetall, a European specialty foundry in Germany, was acquired in 2024. In December, EGA announced its plans to expand production at EGA Leichtmetall more than six-fold by building a second facility near the existing Hannover location. The project will add 110 thousand tonnes per year of scrap sorting capacity and 150 thousand tonnes per year of melting and casting capacity, with first hot metal expected in 2028.

EGA acquired 80 per cent of EGA Spectro Alloys in the United States later in 2004. The first phase of an expansion was completed in 2025 and a second phase is expected to be completed during 2027, taking EGA Spectro Alloys’ capacity to 200 thousand tonnes per year.

The new facility, located near Hannover, will increase EGA Leichtmetall’s recycling capacity more than six-fold, adding 110 thousand tonnes per year of scrap sorting capacity and 153 thousand tonnes per year of melting and casting capacity. The project represents an investment of approximately $170 million, with first hot metal expected in 2028.

EGA Leichtmetall’s existing Hannover site has melting and casting capacity of around 30 thousand tonnes per year.

The planned new facility will be among the first in the world to combine a state-of-the-art scrap sorting system, advanced furnace technologies, and an integrated salt recovery process in a single location.

EGA also operates EGA Spectro Alloys in Minnesota, in the United States, where the first phase of an expansion was recently completed featuring similar sorting technologies. A second phase is underway that will increase the EGA Spectro Alloys plant’s total capacity to 200,000 tonnes per year during 2027. In the UAE, EGA’s construction of the country’s largest aluminium recycling plant is nearing completion.

Abdulnasser Bin Kalban, Chief Executive Officer of Emirates Global Aluminium, said: “It is technically very challenging to consistently produce high quality aluminium from post-consumer scrap, but this is what European industries such as automotive and aviation are increasingly demanding to meet consumer expectations for product performance and sustainability. Our new EGA Leichtmetall aluminium recycling plant will be one of the most advanced in the world. It will enable post-consumer scrap to be considered more often for the most demanding applications, and it will grow EGA’s role as a partner for a green Europe. We will apply our experience from expanding our Minnesota recycling plant to this new project in Germany.”

Europe is the third-largest recycled aluminium market globally, after the United States and China. Recycled aluminium currently meets around 40 per cent of Europe’s total aluminium demand, with consumption of approximately 4.9 million tonnes annually. According to CRU, demand is expected to grow to 7.2 million tonnes per year by 2033.

EGA is also a key supplier of primary aluminium to Europe, shipping over 600,000 tonnes annually. The European automotive industry is the largest consumer of EGA’s CelestiAL solar aluminium.  

The new EGA Leichtmetall plant will feature advanced sorting systems using X-ray and laser technologies to separate scrap by alloy, grade, and impurity level. This will increase flexibility in scrap input and allow EGA Leichtmetall to apply its decades of blending expertise to produce high-quality aluminium from post-consumer scrap for the first time.

The facility will deploy energy-efficient melting furnaces, designed to convert to hydrogen use in the future. Its casting line will produce secondary ingots in nearly all wrought alloys, as well as low and high iron content foundry alloys.

In aluminium recycling, salt is used to bind impurities during melting, generating salt slag as waste. At EGA Leichtmetall’s new facility, salt will be almost entirely recovered for reuse. The only solid waste expected is aluminium hydroxide, which can be used in cement production, and non-aluminium scrap fractions.

The new project will add an additional 45 thousand tonnes of annual recycled billet capacity at EGA Spectro Alloys. Construction is expected to be completed during 2027.

EGA Spectro Alloys is currently ramping-up production at the first phase of its expansion, which added 55 thousand tonnes of billet capacity. Construction of the first phase was completed in July this year.

The latest expansion at EGA Spectro Alloys includes an additional scrap melting furnace and a batch homogeniser.

EGA Spectro Alloy’s metal is marketed under EGA’s recycled aluminium product brand RevivAL.

Abdulnasser Bin Kalban, Chief Executive Officer of Emirates Global Aluminium, said: “The next phase of expansion at EGA Spectro Alloys is another important step in growing our production in the United States, where there is strong demand for both primary and recycled EGA-quality metal ‘made in America’.”

Demand for recycled aluminium in the United States is expected to reach some 8 million tonnes per year by 2034, according to CRU, an independent business intelligence organisation. The United States is currently the world’s second biggest recycled aluminium market.

In Oklahoma, EGA plans to develop the first new primary aluminium production plant in the United States of America since 1980.

The plant is expected to have a production capacity of at least 600 thousand tonnes of primary aluminium per year, nearly doubling the United States’ current primary aluminium production.

EGA is currently building the UAE’s largest aluminium recycling plant in Al Taweelah, which will have a capacity of 100 thousand tonnes per year of aluminium billets and 84 thousand tonnes of T-Bars. The UAE recycling plant is expected to begin production during the first quarter of 2026.

EGA acquired 80 per cent of EGA Spectro Alloys in 2024.

The expansion adds 55 thousand tonnes of secondary billet production capacity in the first phase. The ramp-up to full production is expected to be complete in the first quarter of 2026. The expansion takes EGA Spectro Alloys’ total production capacity to 165 thousand tonnes per year of recycled aluminium ingots and billets.

Metal from the expansion project will be sold under EGA’s recycled aluminium product brand RevivAL.

The completion of the expansion project at EGA Spectro Alloys brings EGA’s global aluminium recycling capacity to 195 thousand tonnes per year, with plants in the United States and Germany.

EGA is currently building the UAE’s largest aluminium recycling plant in Al Taweelah, which will have a capacity of 170 thousand tonnes per year of aluminium billets. The UAE recycling plant is expected to begin production in the first half of 2026.

Abdulnasser Bin Kalban, Chief Executive Officer of Emirates Global Aluminium, said today: “Reaching first hot metal at the expansion of EGA Spectro Alloys is another milestone in our drive to build a global aluminium recycling business to meet growing demand for this low carbon metal. It is also a milestone in EGA’s growth in the United States, already one of our most important markets and where we are progressing our plans to build a primary aluminium production plant in Oklahoma.”

Demand for recycled aluminium in the United States is expected to reach some 7.6 million tonnes per year by 2033, according to CRU, an independent business intelligence organisation. The United States is currently the world’s second biggest recycled aluminium market.

Recycling aluminium requires 95 per cent less electricity than making new metal, and generates a fraction of the greenhouse gas emissions.

In Oklahoma, EGA plans to develop the first new primary aluminium production plant in the United States of America since 1980.

The plant is expected to have a production capacity of 600 thousand tonnes of primary aluminium per year, nearly doubling the United States’ current production. Some 85 per cent of the aluminium needs of American industries, from automotive to aviation and construction, are currently met by imports.

EGA acquired 80 per cent of EGA Spectro Alloys in 2024.

The 170 thousand tonnes per year facility is being built next to EGA’s existing smelter in Al Taweelah. So far, more than 1.2 million hours of work have been completed on the project, with zero Lost Time Incidents.

The largest furnace in the UAE, with a melt rate of 17 tonnes per hour, is on track to be fully installed in June.

The new plant will process post-consumer aluminium scrap, and pre-consumer aluminium scrap, into low-carbon, high-quality ‘premium aluminium’ billets which will be marketed by EGA under the product name RevivAL.

Most aluminium scrap generated in the UAE is currently exported for processing outside the country and is lost to the national economy. When the recycling facility is complete, EGA expects to become the largest consumer of aluminium scrap in the UAE.

First hot metal is expected from EGA’s new recycling plant in Al Taweelah in the first half of 2026.

Abdulnasser Bin Kalban, Chief Executive Officer of Emirates Global Aluminium, said: “Recycling is a key global growth opportunity for our industry and for EGA. We have made decisive steps in developing a global recycling business and here in the UAE with the construction of the recycling plant. The facility will enable us to expand our low-carbon metal portfolio for our local and global customers, and is a new milestone for Make it In the Emirates.”

Global demand for recycled aluminium is expected to double by 2040. During 2024, EGA made material progress in the development of a global aluminium recycling business with the acquisitions of Leichtmetall, a European specialty foundry, and Spectro Alloys, a leading secondary foundry alloy producer in the United States.

EGA was the first company to produce aluminium commercially using solar power, which is marketed under the product name CelestiAL. In 2023, EGA expanded its low carbon metal portfolio, combining solar and recycled aluminium to achieve even lower carbon intensity. This product is called CelestiAL-R. BMW Group is the first customer for this metal. 

The expansion project adds 55 thousand tonnes of secondary billet production in the first phase, with first hot metal expected early in the second half of 2025. Full production ramp-up is expected in the first quarter of 2026.

EGA completed the acquisition of 80 per cent of Spectro Alloys in September 2024. The acquisition accelerated EGA’s global expansion into aluminium recycling and expanded EGA’s business in the United States, which is already one of EGA’s largest global markets.

Spectro Alloys is a leading secondary foundry alloy producer in Rosemount, Minnesota. The company currently has a production capacity of around 110 thousand tonnes per year of aluminium ingots.

Spectro Alloys broke ground on the expansion project in 2024.

Abdulnasser Bin Kalban, Chief Executive Officer of Emirates Global Aluminium, said: “The completion of the civil works is an important milestone in the expansion of Spectro Alloy’s recycled aluminium production and our ambitions to grow EGA’s recycling business in the United States. The full completion of this project will strengthen our business in the United States, which is already one of our largest markets.”

Luke Palen, President of Spectro Alloys, said: “This increase in capacity and capabilities means Spectro will have a greater impact on recycling rates in Minnesota, on meeting the needs of sustainable manufacturers, and on advancing the increasingly vital circular economy.”

Demand for recycled aluminium in the United States is expected to reach some 7.6 million tonnes per year by 2033, according to CRU, an independent business intelligence organisation. The United States is currently the world’s second biggest recycled aluminium market.

CelestiAL-R is the world’s first blend of aluminium made with solar power and recycled metal.

The BMW Group uses EGA’s CelestiAL-R to manufacture high-quality aluminium components for its vehicles.

Oliver Zipse, Chairman of the Board of Management of BMW AG, visited EGA’s plant in Jebel Ali and Dubai Electricity & Water Authority’s Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park to mark the signing of the new agreement.

EGA has supplied aluminium to the BMW Group since 2013. The BMW Group was the first customer to purchase CelestiAL solar aluminium in 2021. Since the start of 2023, all metal supplied by EGA to BMW Group has been CelestiAL-R.

EGA will continue to supply tens of thousands of tonnes of CelestiAL-R each year. The goal is to significantly further increase the proportion of recycled metal.

Abdulnasser Bin Kalban, Chief Executive Officer of Emirates Global Aluminium, said: “The BMW Group demands the highest quality metal produced with solar power, and this continues to drive our innovation at EGA. Over the coming years, we will further increase the proportion of recycled metal in our CelestiAL-R for the BMW Group while meeting their metal quality specifications. I thank the BMW Group for their trust in EGA.”

Producing consistently high-quality metal from increasing proportions of diverse scrap is technically challenging. EGA conducts detailed chemical composition analysis using optical emission spectrometry at every step of the metal production process, to ensure CelestiAL-R meets exact specifications. The company operates advanced metallurgy laboratories at both Jebel Ali and Al Taweelah.

EGA was the first company in the world to produce aluminium commercially using solar power. Generating the electricity required accounts for some 60 per cent of the global aluminium industry’s greenhouse gas emissions.

Aluminium is infinitely recyclable. Recycling aluminium requires 95 per cent less electricity than producing new metal and generates a fraction of the greenhouse gas emissions.

EGA sources recycled aluminium from UAE providers. EGA is building the UAE’s largest aluminium recycling facility in Al Taweelah. On completion, the recycling plant will have a capacity of 170 thousand tonnes of secondary billets per year. First hot metal is expected from EGA’s new recycling plant in 2026.

The acquisition means that EGA now has production on four continents, from bauxite mining to aluminium recycling.

Spectro Alloys adds significantly to EGA’s existing business in the United States with domestic metal production. The United States was already one of EGA’s largest global markets. In 2023, EGA sold approximately 550 thousand tonnes of primary aluminium in the country.

Demand for recycled aluminium in the United States is expected to reach some 7.6 million tonnes per year by 2033, according to CRU, an independent business intelligence organisation. The United States is currently the world’s second biggest recycled aluminium market.

EGA has acquired 80 per cent of Spectro Alloys, with the company’s owner-managers retaining a 20 per cent shareholding. Funding of the transaction is in accordance with EGA’s green finance framework which was announced earlier this year.

Spectro Alloys is a leading secondary foundry alloy producer in the United States, with some 110 thousand tonnes of aluminium ingots production. The company is implementing an expansion plan at its Rosemount site that will add around 55 thousand tones per year of secondary billets production capacity in the first, which is expected to be completed in 2025.

Abdulnasser Bin Kalban, Chief Executive Officer of Emirates Global Aluminium, said: “Aluminium is an essential material for the development of a more sustainable society, and demand for low carbon primary and recycled aluminium will grow significantly over the decades ahead. Developing a global business in recycling is a key strategic priority for EGA. We are taking rapid and decisive action, now with recycling operations in both the United States and Europe and our greenfield plant in the UAE progressing well. I welcome our new colleagues in Minnesota to EGA.”

Luke Palen, President of Spectro Alloys, said: “Becoming part of EGA is an exciting new chapter in Spectro Alloys’ five decades-long journey. EGA’s global resources and strength in marketing aluminium in the United States will accelerate Spectro’s growth. We are now well-placed to develop even further as a leading recycling company, serving our customers even better, creating more job opportunities for people in Minnesota, and contributing to the production of aluminium products that are both environmentally responsible and Made in America.”

Aluminium is infinitely-recyclable. Recycling aluminium requires 95 per cent less energy than making new metal, generating a fraction of the greenhouse gas emissions. 

In May, EGA acquired European specialty foundry Leichtmetall, and late last year EGA began construction of the UAE’s largest aluminium recycling plant.

The acquisition, which is subject to obtaining regulatory approvals, will accelerate EGA’s global expansion into aluminium recycling and expand EGA’s business in the United States.

Spectro Alloys is a leading secondary foundry alloy producer in the United States, founded in 1973, and based in Rosemount, Minnesota. The company has a production capacity of around 110 thousand tonnes per year of aluminium ingots, with a carbon intensity of less than one tonne of CO2 equivalent per tonne of aluminium produced.

Earlier this year, Spectro Alloys broke ground on an expansion project at its Rosemount site that will add approximately 55 thousand tonnes per year of secondary billet production capacity in the first phase, which is expected to be completed in 2025.

EGA intends to acquire 80 per cent of Spectro Alloys. The current owner-managers will retain a 20 per cent shareholding. EGA and Spectro Alloys have signed an equity purchase agreement and the transaction is expected to close during the third quarter of 2024.

In May, EGA acquired European specialty foundry Leichtmetall, and late last year EGA began construction of the UAE’s largest aluminium recycling plant.

Abdulnasser Bin Kalban, Chief Executive Officer of Emirates Global Aluminium, said: “EGA is the biggest ‘premium aluminium’ producer in the world and our goal is to grow further in both primary and recycled aluminium to meet the growing global demand for a metal which is essential for our world’s sustainable future. In the United States, which is already one of EGA’s largest global markets, this acquisition will significantly grow our business and expand our offering to customers with domestic production. Spectro Alloys has a strong and highly experienced team which is already implementing ambitious expansion plans, and will be a strong platform for the further development of an EGA recycling business in the United States. I look forward to working with Spectro Alloys’ team.” 

Luke Palen, President of Spectro Alloys, said: “We have grown Spectro Alloys over the last five decades into one of the United States’ top aluminium recycling companies. By becoming part of EGA, the largest ‘premium aluminium’ producer in the world, we will unlock the next stage of our development in the fast-growing aluminum recycling industry. In the near term, this will allow us to accelerate our ongoing expansion project. In the long term, this is a big win for the future of aluminum recycling in the United States.”

The United States currently consumes some 4.9 million tonnes of recycled aluminium annually, accounting for half of all aluminium demand in the country and making the United States the second largest recycled aluminium market in the world. Demand for recycled aluminium in the United States is expected to reach some 7.6 million tonnes per year by 2033, according to CRU, an independent business intelligence organisation.

EGA sold approximately 550 thousand tonnes of primary aluminium in the United States in 2023.

Spectro Alloys currently supplies more than 125 customers, primarily in the Upper Midwest and Texas. Almost half of Spectro Alloys’ production is used in the automotive sector. Spectro Alloys sells to semi-fabricators, who in turn supply blue-chip end-user companies. Other important sectors for Spectro Alloys include small engine manufacturing, construction, and recreational vehicles.

Spectro Alloys sources aluminium scrap from more than 250 scrap suppliers in the region, and uses advanced sorting and analysis technology to produce the wide variety of alloys required by the company’s customers.

Market analysts expect global demand for recycled aluminium to double by 2040. Recycled aluminium is expected to account for around 60 per cent of the growth in global aluminium supply between now and 2030, and around 70 per cent of supply growth between 2030 and 2040.

The partnership began with 12 schools near EGA’s operations in Jebel Ali and Al Taweelah, and now covers 20 educational institutions as well as home collections.

UAE citizens and residents consume some 660 million aluminium beverage cans in total every year. Only a third are currently recycled, compared to over 95 per cent in leading recycling countries. More than 440 million aluminium cans currently end up in UAE landfill sites annually.

EGA and RECAPP collected 145 thousand used drink cans during the year.

Abdulnasser Bin Kalban, Chief Executive Officer of Emirates Global Aluminium, said: “Aluminium is essential for the development of a more sustainable society. Aluminium is already one of the world’s most recycled materials, but too much of this valuable material is still thrown away in our country. I thank RECAPP by Veolia and our EGA teams for educating young people about the importance of recycling aluminium drink cans and inspiring a culture of sustainability and environmental stewardship.”

Jerome Viricel, General Manager of RECAPP by Veolia said: “Aluminium is infinitely-recyclable, and recycling aluminium takes 95 per cent less energy than making new metal. I am confident that by diverting aluminium waste from the UAE’s landfills and guiding students and residents to the right approach in recycling aluminium, this partnership will further bolster national efforts towards sustainability and strengthen the recycling reflex across the country. This project underscores Veolia’s dedication to ecological transformation, and closely aligns with our ambitious new GreenUp plan that focuses on high-impact solutions while strengthening our decarbonisation commitments.”

RECAPP by Veolia is a member of the Aluminium Recycling Coalition, which was founded by EGA in 2023 to bring the company together with can-makers, beverage producers and waste management companies to promote recycling in the UAE.

For Veolia, the can collection and aluminium recycling project represents a significant step to help its customers decarbonise, depollute and regenerate resources, through the deployment of its digital platform RECAPP. The collaboration will also advance Veolia’s mission in the UAE of promoting recycling and sustainable development in keeping with the country’s broader vision for a Net Zero future and its Circular Economy Policy.

EGA is currently constructing the UAE’s largest aluminium recycling plant in Al Taweelah, which is expected to have a capacity of 170 thousand tonnes per year when complete.

Bauxite residue, a by-product of alumina refining, has been a global waste management challenge since the dawn of the aluminium more than a century ago. Some 150 million tonnes of the material are produced worldwide each year, according to industry experts, with less than two per cent put to productive use. EGA has developed proprietary processes to re-use bauxite residue through almost a decade of scientific research and development.

Abdulnasser Bin Kalban, Chief Executive Officer of EGA, received Her Excellency and her delegation at EGA headquarters in Al Taweelah.

EGA’s pilot plant will use proprietary technology to convert caustic bauxite residue into an environmentally benign raw material in hours, instead of undergoing decades-long, natural processes. This Optimised Bauxite Residue is the main ingredient for a manufactured soil, which EGA calls ‘Turba’ (the Arabic word for soil).

The UAE has limited naturally-occurring soil, and imports significant quantities each year for greening and agricultural purposes. Soil is considered a non-renewable resource as it takes centuries to develop naturally in even the most favourable climates.

Soil is the world’s largest terrestrial CO2 storage facility, absorbing up to 20 per cent of man-made greenhouse gas emissions. This role is threatened by soil erosion worldwide. Early studies and laboratory-scale trials show that EGA’s Turba may have up to 10 times better CO2 absorption properties than the UAE’s natural soil.

HE Dr Amna bint Abdullah Al Dahak, Minister of Climate Change and Environment, said: “The health of our planet is intertwined with the health of our soil. As we confront the urgent challenge of climate change, we must take steps to support the crucial role that soil plays in reducing CO2 in our atmosphere. At MOCCAE, we welcome the work undertaken by businesses like EGA to invest in sustainable soil management practices, foster innovation and promote sustainable solutions. I was pleased to have the opportunity to review progress on the construction of EGA’s pilot plant. Innovative solutions are required for the world’s environmental challenges, and businesses like EGA are amongst the UAE champions playing a key role in finding them.”

Abdulnasser Bin Kalban, Chief Executive Officer of Emirates Global Aluminium, said: “I was pleased to brief the Minister on EGA’s progress with Turba, our breakthrough solution to re-use bauxite residue as a manufactured soil. Our long-term goal is to send zero process waste to landfill, and we have made great progress. Bauxite residue is the most challenging waste stream in our industry and I am confident we are close to solving it. I look forward to industrial-scale production of our sustainable industrial soil for a better tomorrow.”

During the visit Her Excellency planted a tree in a Turba demonstration plot next to EGA’s headquarters.

EGA’s pilot plant is expected to be completed during 2024. Once operational, the facility will produce up to six tonnes per day of Optimised Bauxite Residue. The plant will prove the potential to industrialise EGA’s revolutionary process, and enable large-scale trials to test plant growth in Turba. Laboratory-scale trials have already shown that Turba enhances plant growth while using less water and fertiliser.

EGA’s bauxite residue research team has already developed other potential novel applications for bauxite residue, including as a raw material for the steel, cement, and construction industries.

EGA has developed re-uses for other waste streams from its industrial activities. These include spent pot lining, a by-product of aluminium smelting, which is re-used as an alternative feedstock and fuel by the UAE cement industry. Carbon dust is also used as a fuel in cement manufacturing. EGA’s dross is processed to recover aluminium. EGA’s long-term aspiration is to send zero process waste to landfill.

Yalla Return, developed by Nadeera, is an innovative platform to promote effective recycling by consumers. The programme uses technology as a community engagement tool to encourage and incentivise recycling through a mobile application that is linked to technology-enabled waste collection bins. The programme will now be rolled out to some 4,000 households near Jebel Ali site.

Recycling aluminium takes 95 per cent less energy than making new metal, generating a fraction of the greenhouse gas emissions. Last year, EGA announced the start of construction of the UAE’s largest aluminium recycling plant.

EGA spearheaded the development of an Aluminium Recycling Coalition with beverage can-makers, beverage producers and waste management companies to improve the recycling rate of aluminium cans in the UAE. Some 660 million beverage cans are consumed in the UAE each year, and only around a third are currently recycled.

Abdulnasser Bin Kalban, Chief Executive Officer of Emirates Global Aluminium, said: “Aluminium is an essential material for human progress, and too much is still thrown away including in communities that live right next to EGA’s plants. Nadeera will help us create more awareness on the importance of recycling among our neighbours, and I am pleased that this partnership means we are extending our cooperation with them.”

Nadeera was a finalist in the first season of EGA Ramp-up, the company’s corporate social responsibility programme to support entrepreneurship as a further contribution to UAE economic growth.

EGA supports communities near its operations in Dubai and Abu Dhabi through corporate social responsibility programmes, including sports tournaments, community clean-up drives and recruitment campaigns. EGA operates a hotline for members of neighbouring communities to contact the company with any comments or concerns.

The pilot plant is thought to be the first-of-its-kind in the world.

Construction follows five years of scientific research & development by EGA and a consortium of global research partners, which led to a breakthrough in the re-use of one of the aluminium industry’s most challenging waste streams. EGA has spent the last year on detailed engineering work.

The pilot plant will use EGA’s proprietary technology to neutralise caustic bauxite residue into an environmentally benign raw material in hours, instead of undergoing decades-long, natural processes. This Optimised Bauxite Residue is the main ingredient for the manufactured soil, which EGA calls ‘Turba’ (the Arabic word for soil).

The pilot plant will prove the potential to industrialise EGA’s revolutionary process and will give the company the ability to conduct large-scale trials to test plant growth using the manufactured soil. It is expected to be completed during 2024.

Laboratory-scale trials have already shown that Turba significantly enhances plant growth while using less water and fertiliser than local sandy alternatives. The pilot plant will be capable of producing up to six tonnes per day of optimised bauxite residue.

Abdulnasser Bin Kalban, Chief Executive Officer of Emirates Global Aluminium, said: “The construction of this pilot plant is an important milestone in our drive to find productive uses for bauxite residue, which has been a challenge since the dawn of our industry. Manufactured soil has great potential as a solution, as it meets an important need in the UAE. Our goal is to develop and prove multiple solutions, to ensure all bauxite residue produced in the UAE is used in the UAE, contributing to a more circular economy.”

Some 150 million tonnes of bauxite residue are thought to be produced worldwide every year with less than two percent put to productive use. Untreated bauxite residue is caustic and does not support plant life.

The plant, which will be located at EGA’s site in Al Taweelah in Abu Dhabi, will cover an area of 900 square metres when complete, and will contain 230 tonnes of steel, more than two kilometres of piping, and 10 separate tanks. The heart of the plant, a specialised filtration system, was built in Finland and arrived in the UAE in June.

The UAE has limited naturally-occurring soil, and imports significant quantities each year for greening and agricultural purposes. Soil is considered a non-renewable resource as it takes centuries to develop naturally in even the most favourable climates.

The world’s soil naturally absorbs some 20 per cent of man-made CO₂ emissions every year, making soil the largest terrestrial CO₂ storage facility and critical for the global effort to avert the worst impacts of climate change. Soil’s CO₂ absorption capability is under threat globally from human-driven soil erosion.

Early studies show that EGA’s Turba may have up to 10 times better CO₂ absorption properties than the UAE’s natural soil.

EGA began production at Al Taweelah alumina refinery in 2019, making alumina refining a new industrial activity for the UAE. EGA is fully committed to finding productive uses for bauxite residue within the UAE.

EGA’s bauxite residue team has already developed other potential novel applications for bauxite residue, including as a raw material for the steel, cement, and construction industries.

EGA has already developed re-uses for other waste streams from its industrial activities. These include spent pot lining, a by-product of aluminium smelting, which is re-used as an alternative feedstock and fuel by the UAE cement industry; carbon dust, which is also used as a fuel in cement manufacturing; and dross, which is processed to recover aluminium. EGA’s long-term aspiration is to send zero process waste to landfill.

The 170 thousand tonnes per year facility is being built next to EGA’s existing smelter in Al Taweelah. The plant will process post-consumer aluminium scrap such as used window frames, as well as pre-consumer aluminium scrap from extrusion production, into low-carbon, high quality premium aluminium billets.

The new facility will supply local and global markets with low carbon metal under the product name RevivAL. Construction is expected to be complete within three years.

Most of the aluminium scrap generated in the UAE is currently exported for processing outside the country, and is lost to the national economy. Once the recycling plant is complete, EGA expects to become the largest consumer of aluminium scrap in the UAE.

Market analysts expect global demand for recycled aluminium to grow from some 27 million tonnes per year in 2022 to 57 million tonnes in 2040. Recycled aluminium is expected to account for around 60 per cent of the growth in global aluminium supply between now and 2030, and around 70 per cent of supply growth between 2030 and 2040.

Aluminium is infinitely-recyclable. Recycling aluminium requires 95 per cent less energy than making new metal, and results in a fraction of the greenhouse gas emissions of primary aluminium production.

Abdulnasser Bin Kalban, Chief Executive Officer of Emirates Global Aluminium, said: “Aluminium recycling is key to our metal achieving its enormous potential to contribute to decarbonisation while improving global living standards. This makes recycling the biggest global growth opportunity for our industry, and for EGA. Our construction of a major aluminium recycling plant will provide low carbon product options for our local and global customers while contributing to the national Operation 300bn industrial growth strategy.”

EGA was the first company to produce aluminium commercially using solar power, which is marketed under the product name CelestiAL, starting in 2021. Last year, EGA produced 57 thousand tonnes of CelestiAL.

In 2023, EGA expanded its low carbon metal portfolio, combining solar and recycled aluminium to achieve even lower carbon intensity. This product is called CelestiAL-R. BMW Group is the first customer for this metal.  

EGA has publicly committed to reaching net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, in line with the UAE’s Net 50 by 2050 Strategic Initiative.

The initiative will start with 12 schools in Abu Dhabi and Dubai that are near to EGA’s operations. RECAPP will manage the deployment of recycling drop-off locations that are easily accessible to students to help generate more interest and awareness among young people about recycling.

RECAPP by Veolia is a member of the Aluminium Recycling Coalition, which was founded by EGA earlier this year to bring the company together with can-makers, beverage producers and waste management companies to promote aluminium recycling in the UAE.

Abdulnasser Bin Kalban, Chief Executive Officer of EGA, said:  "Aluminium is an infinitely-recyclable material, vital for creating a sustainable society. Despite its potential, too much aluminium is discarded in the UAE, impacting our economy and environment. Our partnership with RECAPP by Veolia aims to transform this behaviour by engaging young people, who are most receptive to change and have the greatest stake in our collective future. By fostering a culture of sustainability and environmental stewardship, we empower the next generation to become leaders in environmental responsibility, paving the way for a more sustainable and circular economy."

Jérôme Viricel, General Manager of RECAPP at Veolia Near & Middle East, said: “We are pleased to partner with EGA to promote aluminium recycling within local educational institutes, building on our strategic collaboration on the responsible management of waste which spans several years. Closing the aluminium recycling loop in the UAE requires multiple solutions that both encourage consumers to the right behaviour, and make it simple and rewarding. By working hand-in-hand, we will be supporting national efforts towards sustainability through promoting the recycling reflex and diverting waste from landfill.”

RECAPP is a digital recycling solution for individuals and businesses, which currently has some 52,000 users in the UAE. It is centred on an app that enables its members to order collection of their recyclables from their location, and in return receive discounts in a dedicated marketplace. Last November, RECAPP by Veolia launched GoRECAPP.com, the first B2B digital recycling platform in the UAE, which enables businesses to deploy recycling boxes on their premises.

Recycling aluminium takes 95 per cent less energy than making new metal. Last year, EGA announced it intends to build the largest aluminium recycling facility in the UAE.

The amount was almost double the volume EGA generated during 2022, reducing stockpiles from previous years, and a 40 per cent increase on 2021 as industries recovered from COVID-19.

EGA has worked for more than a decade with other industries in the UAE to find productive uses for by-products from aluminium production. Re-use diverts waste from landfill and reduces the need to exploit new natural resources, contributing to the development of a circular economy.

EGA is a global leader in the re-use of spent pot lining, the largest single by-product stream from aluminium smelting. Worldwide, the aluminium industry produces over 1 million tonnes of spent pot lining every year according to industry experts, with much kept in indefinite storage. Use of EGA’s spent pot lining as alternative raw material helps reduce greenhouse gases and nitrogen oxides from the cement sector.

Other major by-product streams for which EGA has found re-uses with other industries include carbon dust, dross, and potline process waste.

Abdulnasser Bin Kalban, Chief Executive Officer of Emirates Global Aluminium, said: “Reducing humanity’s burden on the environment while further improving global living standards requires us to maximise the use of the resources we have, and that means thinking of all waste as potentially valuable feedstock. With our partners in other industries, we have made great progress at EGA in developing a circular economy in the UAE and I am confident we will make further progress in the years ahead.”

EGA is currently developing viable uses in the UAE for bauxite residue, a by-product from alumina refining. EGA began production at the UAE’s first alumina refinery in 2019.

It is thought that at least 150 million tonnes of bauxite residue are produced worldwide each year and less than two percent is currently put to productive use. Last year, EGA announced the company intends to build a pilot plant to convert bauxite residue into soil products that can be used for greening and other purposes.

The pilot plant is thought to be the first of its kind in the world and follows a global R&D breakthrough after five years of research & development by EGA and The University of Queensland’s School of Agriculture and Food Sciences.

EGA’s Bauxite Residue R&D Group has created a portfolio of additional novel applications that are at an advanced stage of development, with further pilot-scale trials expected.

-        Coalition members include EGA, Abu Dhabi Waste Management Company (Tadweer), Aujan Coca-Cola Beverages Company, Coca-Cola Al Ahlia Beverages Company, BEEAH Tandeef, Pepsi-bottler Dubai Refreshment, CANPACK, Crown Bevcan EMEA, DULSCO Group and Veolia.

United Arab Emirates, 15 January 2023: Emirates Global Aluminium, the largest industrial company in the United Arab Emirates outside oil and gas, and leading beverage producers, can-makers and waste management companies, today announced the launch of the Aluminium Recycling Coalition, which aims to drive a step-change in aluminium recycling in the UAE.

The coalition was launched at EGA in Al Taweelah in presence of His Excellency Abdullah Bin Touq Al Marri, UAE Minister of Economy, and Her Excellency Mariam bint Mohammed Saeed Hareb Almheiri, UAE Minister of Climate Change and Environment.

Members of the coalition include EGA, Abu Dhabi Waste Management Company (Tadweer), Aujan Coca-Cola Beverages Company, Coca-Cola Al Ahlia Beverages Company, BEEAH Tandeef, Pepsi-bottler Dubai Refreshment, CANPACK, Crown Bevcan EMEA, DULSCO Group and Veolia.

Aluminium plays an essential role in the development of a more sustainable society. The metal’s properties are ideal to make everything from packaging to lightweight electric vehicles, and aluminium is infinitely-recyclable.

Around the world, aluminium is the most-recycled material, with more than three-quarters of the aluminium ever made still in use today.

The Aluminium Recycling Coalition aims to promote aluminium recycling by UAE consumers, particularly beverage cans - as millions of individual decisions every day on which bin to use drive collection rates.

As its first project, the coalition intends to support a study by the International Aluminium Institute on aluminium recycling rates and behaviours in the UAE, to fully understand the scale of the opportunity and potential solutions. The International Aluminium Institute is the global trade association for the aluminium industry, and is conducting similar studies around the world.

The coalition also expects to provide support to Government on aluminium recycling regulation and policies, and to work together to further the development of aluminium recycling infrastructure.

His Excellency Abdullah Bin Touq Al Marri, UAE Minister of Economy, said: “The Aluminium Recycling Coalition is led by Emirates Global Aluminium, the biggest ‘premium aluminium’ producer in the world and the heart of the broader aluminium sector in the UAE which generates over $5 billion annually in the national economy. It will enhance the UAE’s position as a global leader in international efforts towards green development, support our 2031 goals on the circular economy, and contribute to building a knowledge-based economy that is more resilient and competitive.”

Her Excellency Mariam bint Mohammed Saeed Hareb Almheiri, UAE Minister of Climate Change and Environment, said: “Aluminium demand is expected to grow worldwide by between 50 per cent and 80 per cent by 2050, because of the key role of this infinitely recyclable material in achieving net zero. Cooperation throughout the value chain, such as the Aluminium Recycling Coalition, will speed the decarbonisation of our economy in line with the Net Zero by 2050 Strategic Initiative. I wish EGA and the other members of the Aluminium Recycling Coalition every success in their collective endeavour.”

His Excellency Ali Al Dhaheri, Chief Executive Officer of Abu Dhabi Waste Management Centre (Tadweer), said: “We are delighted to be a partner of the Aluminium Recycling Coalition founded by EGA, and are excited to usher in the next era of aluminium recycling in the UAE through concentrated efforts. Recycling and circular economy are both key pillars of our country’s ambition towards prosperity. For us at Tadweer, this is also part of our commitment to support national platforms that support sustainability and raise awareness on the importance of recycling in the UAE.”

Abdulnasser Bin Kalban, Chief Executive Officer of Emirates Global Aluminium, said: “Recyclability is one reason aluminium is so important for human progress, but every day as a society we throw too much of this valuable metal away.  By championing the Aluminium Recycling Coalition, EGA aims to increase aluminium recycling rates in the UAE to the benefit of our society and economy. I thank all our partners for joining us in this initiative.”

EGA was the first Middle East headquartered company to join the Aluminium Stewardship Initiative, a global body that sets sustainability standards for the industry. EGA is a global aluminium industry leader in the re-use of by-products from its own operations.

Last year, EGA announced a project to build the UAE’s largest aluminium recycling facility.

Jason Schmidt, Chief Executive Officer, Aujan Coca-Cola Beverages Company, said: “At Aujan Coca-Cola Beverages Company, we are committed to our shared goals with The Coca-Cola Partner Company and together we believe that developing a circular economy is the most impactful way to address waste and climate issues created by packaging. That’s why we are championing the established World Without Waste program, our ambitious global sustainable packaging initiative focused on three key areas; Design, Collect and Partner. Our World Without Waste goals require collective action in partnership with a range of stakeholders at a global, regional and local level, and as such we are delighted to join the Aluminium Recycling Coalition. Through this partnership our aim is to work with a diverse group of organisations to strengthen recycling infrastructures, boost collection rates, and take action that supports a circular economy. We see this as a significant, positive initiative and are committed to our joint success. As a company we will weave this into our Value Proposition- drive awareness through our customers, shoppers and consumers and report on the regional wins as we create an active recycling culture in the aluminium space.

Rafael Sanjurjo Lopez, Chief Executive Officer, BEEAH Tandeef, said: “We are proud to collaborate with EGA’s Aluminium Recycling Coalition to accelerate net-zero initiatives for a faster decarbonisation journey. The aluminium industry has a great role to play to promote the circular economy of tomorrow, and we are excited to further leverage our sustainability actions with this programme.”

Malgorzata Podrecka, Group Legal, Sustainability & PR Officer, CANPACK, said: “CANPACK is delighted to join the prestigious Aluminium Recycling Coalition in the UAE as we believe it is only through collaboration that we will be able to achieve a lasting, positive, and meaningful impact on the environment and society.  By working together, we know we will be better able to tackle climate change, promote a circular economy, improve local communities, and ensure that the UAE’s aluminium industry is economically sustainable and here for the long-term. Put simply it is a fantastic opportunity to institute positive change across the country and to lead globally on sustainability-related issues.”

Mohamed Akeel, Chief Executive Officer, Coca-Cola Al Ahlia Beverages Company, said: “Signing today’s MoU and joining the UAE Aluminium Recycling Coalition is a great honour and affirmation of Coca-Cola’ concerted efforts to increase the use of recycled materials in packaging across its beverage portfolio. By joining key decision-makers, industry leaders, and advocates for aluminium recycling, we are confident that our global learnings and expertise will lead to sustainable and impactful change across the UAE, which aligns with our vision of raising awareness by working with local partners.”

Sandrine Duquerroy-Delesalle, Sustainability and External Affairs Director, Crown Bevcan EMEA, said: “We are proud to join in the Aluminium Recycling Coalition in the UAE, where Crown has a historical footprint and a market leader position in the supply of beverage cans in the region. As part of our Twentyby30 program, we are committed to increasing the recycling rates in the regions we operate, to keep our aluminium cans within the circular economy. One of the strongest sustainability credentials of aluminium is that it is infinitely recyclable, so we are excited to collaborate with other partners and develop projects to improve recycling of aluminium beverage cans.”

Tarek El Sakka, Chief Executive Officer, Dubai Refreshment, said: “Joining the UAE Aluminium Recycling Coalition is one of many steps we have taken across several initiatives in DRC to translate our commitment towards sustainability. Being in coalition helps all stakeholders in the industry to focus in solving issues related to waste & act as a catalyst to bring changes & achieve circular economy goals. We expect this coalition to be the link between industries involved & regulatory bodies where will work together to set the right framework that will facilitate achieving sustainability objectives within a business context.”

David Stockton, Chief Executive Officer, DULSCO Group, said: “We heavily prioritise recycling and have worked tirelessly to divert waste away from landfills through our Material Recovery Facility while promoting a local culture of recycling. We are proud to join the Aluminium Recycling Coalition, with the shared goal to encourage the recycling of aluminium - a metal utilised by all routinely in daily life, with the capacity to be recycled infinitely into products such as new car parts, aircraft skin, roofing materials, or back into new aluminium cans. Along with fellow members of the Coalition, we hope to work synergistically through the exchange of knowledge and facilities such as our MRF to accomplish our joint goal of environmental preservation, in line with the vision of the UAE.”

Pascal Grante, Chief Executive Officer, Veolia Near & Middle East, said: “Veolia Environmental Service Emirates are proud of the partnership relationship that has been developed over the last 4 years working with EGA. During this time, we have helped operate, manage, haulage and place over 9.9 million tonnes of Bauxite residue from the Al Taweelah alumina refinery to the engineered storage area. And now, for two years, VEOLIA launched RECAPP which is promoting segregation at the source of metal cans in addition to plastics. Through this new service, we have noticed that the percentage of aluminium cans recovered remains low compared to the sales volume of beverage cans in the UAE. Spreading awareness through education is essential to bridging this gap, and incentive schemes – such as RECAPP’s reward system – are an effective way to promote sustainability in communities. RECAPP and VEOLIA are proud to be part of the Aluminium Recycling Coalition and to work hand-in-hand to explore innovative solutions that can increase the collection and recycling of aluminium in the UAE.”