Emirates Global Aluminium broke ground on the construction of 10 pilot reduction cells for EX, the company’s next generation smelting technology. The pilot at Al Taweelah (Abu Dhabi) will be used to prove the advanced Industry 4.0 capabilities for the aluminum industry.
EX has been designed to produce more aluminum with less energy and lower emissions. The design incorporates provisions for advanced Internet of Things sensors and connections to enable real-time data gathering and even greater application of Industry 4.0.
EGA intends to utilize all its existing Industry 4.0 use cases in EX technology, and develop new state-of-the-art digital capabilities centered on artificial intelligence and advanced data analytics.
With more sensors and data, the goal is to deploy artificial intelligence for autonomous control of pots, cranes and vehicles, enabling further optimization and integration of all potline processes, reducing disruptions and improving efficiency. Machine learning will enable continuous process improvement and increasingly precise task planning to reach the full theoretical performance capabilities of EX technology. EGA’s already-developed Industry 4.0 use cases include pot failure prediction, dynamic shift life prediction, and the use of artificial intelligence vision-enabled smart cranes.
First hot metal from the pilot reduction cells is expected in the first half of 2025. The target is that EX is ready for large-scale industrialization, including advanced Industry 4.0 capabilities, by 2028.
Abdulnasser Bin Kalban, Chief Executive Officer of Emirates Global Aluminium, said: “For over 30 years, EGA has been at the forefront of aluminum smelting innovation. Today, we stand at a transformative crossroads. The construction of our EX pilot reduction cells is not just a technological milestone, it is the foundation for a future of smart solutions to improve efficiency and ultimately sustainability. Our bold goal is to create a self-optimising, autonomous production system that can be the most efficient in the world. This innovation is central to EGA’s growth strategy and our commitment to shaping a sustainable future for our industry.”
EGA launched its digital transformation in 2021, aiming to enhance every aspect of its operations and business, while upgrading customer and employee experience and ultimately creating new revenue streams.
So far, EGA has implemented more than 80 Industry 4.0 use cases, unlocking some $100 million in value.
EGA has also built important digital foundations, including one of the region’s first digital manufacturing hybrid cloud platforms with Microsoft, and the region’s first 100% renewable energy-powered industrial datacenters at Jebel Ali and Al Taweelah, reducing the emissions from EGA’s computing. EGA has also upskilled some 3,000 employees in digital capabilities and ways of working.
EGA completed the core design phase of its new EX smelting technology in June 2024, and has since been working on detailed engineering for the installation at Al Taweelah. EX reduction cells are larger than EGA’s most recently industrialized technology DX+ Ultra, enabling higher amperage and improved current efficiency.
DX+ Ultra is already one of the most efficient smelting technologies in the global aluminum industry.
EGA’s EX technology aims to increase production capacity by up to 22 per cent and has been designed with two variants – one for maximum productivity and the other to minimise greenhouse gas emissions.
The next-generation technology is expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions per tonne of aluminum produced by around five per cent for the more productive variant and around 12 per cent for the lower energy variant.
EGA was the first UAE industrial company to license its core process technology internationally, in a deal with Aluminium Bahrain in 2016 for the use of DX+ Ultra technology in the Bahraini company’s Potline 6 expansion project.