Emirates Global Aluminium PJSC (EGA), Mubadala Investment Company, and Dubal Holding completed a new power plant at Jebel Ali that it says is its most efficient power generation system to date.
The firm marked the opening of the new power plant with a ceremony attended by several government and corporate officials last week. The AED1 billion project consists of the country’s first Siemens Energy H-class gas turbine, which is also the first such unit employed in the global aluminium industry. The unit features a power generation capability of 600 megawatts, and it will replace five other, less efficient generators on site.
Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, Vice Chairman of EGA, said in a press release that the new power plant is part of a broader push for sustainability.
“Completion of this project at EGA is in line with the directives of His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE; His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces to make the UAE a global leader in sustainability. The new power plant at EGA is considered one of the plants with high operational efficiency and an important step towards enhancing environmental sustainability.”
Musabbeh Al Kaabi, Board member of EGA and CEO of UAE Investments at Mubadala, indicated that the project will have a positive impact on emissions.
“The successful completion of this project is a testament to the focus we have placed on improving EGA’s cost position while reducing its emissions, which further cements the importance we place on addressing key Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) issues. We are proud of the EGA’s resilience and the team’s ability to deliver this project safely and under budget despite challenging circumstances presented by the pandemic.”
“Despite COVID-19, this project was completed on time and, most importantly, safely,” observed Abdulnasser Bin Kalban, Chief Executive Officer of EGA. “We now have on our site the most efficient power plant in the UAE, which will significantly reduce our environmental emissions as well as lowering our costs. This plant will deliver value to EGA and to the nation for many years to come.”
Karim Amin, Executive Vice President Generation, Siemens Energy, highlighted the benefits to the aluminium industry of the now-completed project.
“This project, equipped with Siemens Energy’s H-class technology, created a new benchmark in the aluminium industry by significantly improving reliability and efficiency of energy generation whilst lowering emissions and costs at the same time. We are proud that our innovative solutions will help to drive decarbonisation in the UAE’s industrial sector and are looking forward to many more years of collaboration with EGA, Mubadala, and Dubal Holding.”
EGA estimates that the new power plant will cut greenhouse gas emissions from its operations at Jebel Ali by a tenth, with NOx emissions expected to drop by up to 58 percent.