Emirates Aluminium (Emal) and Abu Dhabi Gas Industries Ltd. (Gasco) have opened a natural gas pipeline that will enable onsite power production at the world’s largest single site aluminium smelter.
The pipeline, directly connected to the Emal power plant, will provide Emal with a reliable and uninterrupted supply of natural gas. In turn, the gas will be used to supply power for the plant.
"This is an important milestone for Emal," said Duncan Hedditch CEO of Emal "In The design and construction of Emal we have selected the most environmentally sound technology, and we are committed to achieving best-practice environmental performance," Hedditch added.
Natural gas-fired power stations are amongst the most environmentally sound methods of power creation, reducing CO2 emissions by up to 70% over coal-fired alternatives used in many other aluminium smelters across the world.
Aluminium smelting requires reliable, sustainable and long term access to energy. For the UAE, which holds the fourth largest proven reserves of natural gas in the Middle East, Emal provides an opportunity to use the natural resources of the country in an upstream diversification project.
