The Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi (EAD) has visited Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA) to learn more about its strategic and operational commitments toward environmental protection and its efforts in reducing emissions.

The Agency was also briefed on EGA's environmental management system, which has been developed as per the environmental laws and regulations of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and international best practices.

During the visit, the EAD team, led by Dr. Shaikha Salem Al Dhaheri, EAD Secretary-General, and in the presence of members of the Executive Management team, were briefed on the progress of EGA's manufacturing operations, its sustainable environmental practices, and the measures it takes to reduce emissions and waste.

Dr. Al Dhaheri said, "Since our establishment, EAD has been keen to cooperate and build partnerships with industrial sectors to preserve the environment by strengthening and activating its role in implementing federal and local environmental laws and legislation. This is in addition to ensuring industrial institutions and establishments self-monitor their operational processes to achieve better environmental results.

"Our goal is to prevent the negative effects of development and help industries achieve a positive commitment to the environment. This can only be achieved through existing cooperation to achieve our goals in preserving our natural heritage," she added.

Faisal Al Hammadi, EAD's Acting Executive Director of the Environment Quality Sector, said that EAD determines industrial facilities' compliance with environmental requirements through regular inspection visits and environmental monitoring reports. The reports include the results of the facilities' efforts in reducing carbon emissions and in developing its environmental performance and the application of best management practices, operational controls and innovative solutions.

"EGA has excelled in the optimal use of resources, providing ideas and solutions to raise production efficiency, reducing waste, and preventing pollution to ensure the protection of the environment by following international best practices and conducting scientific research," he added.

Al Hammadi noted that the challenge facing many alumina refineries worldwide is how to manage the primary by-product, bauxite residue. "However, through our cooperation with EGA during the planning stages of the Al Taweelah alumina refinery, EAD and EGA worked together to design a state-of-the-art storage facility to protect the environment. Furthermore, EGA has researched innovative solutions to convert bauxite waste into materials that can be re-utilised."

Abdulnasser bin Kalban, EGA's Chief Executive Officer, said that EGA is also active members of the Aluminium Stewardship Initiative, which promotes sustainability best practice in the industry, and have aligned the company's sustainability strategy with the ASI Performance Standards.

Bin Kalban continued, "We were particularly pleased to brief Dr. Al Dhaheri on our progress in finding viable uses for bauxite residue. Some 150 million tonnes of bauxite residents are produced each year globally, and only around two percent is put to productive use. We have made significant R&D breakthroughs which we believe will ultimately see all bauxite residue produced in the UAE re-used in the UAE. We have already achieved important success with other by-product streams, such as spent pot lining, which is now a feedstock for the UAE cement industry."

"EGA is at the forefront of sustainability-related innovation - not only through our aluminium made with solar power, which we call CelestiAL, but also though our technical advances such as cooling towers for water discharge, the first of their kind in the region, the current feasibility studies to use green hydrogen across our processes, as well as our biodiversity protection programmes and community engagement work."

As the regulator for environmental affairs in Abu Dhabi, EAD has developed modern technological tools and mechanisms that ensure compliance of industrial facilities and development projects with environmental laws and environmental requirements.