UAE-based Al Taweelah refinery, operated by Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA), has been certified for its ESG performance by the Aluminium Stewardship Initiative (ASI)
According to EGA, all its operational assets around the world are now certified to the ASI’s Performance Standard V2 (2017). Due to its extremely effective operations and procedures, the Al Taweelah alumina refinery is among the sectors with the lowest greenhouse gas emissions, said EGA.
The Aluminium Stewardship Initiative is a worldwide non-profit organisation. It consults aluminium manufacturers, end users, civil society, and the general public to define what constitutes strong sustainability performance in the aluminium industry. EGA added that the Al Taweelah alumina refinery also placed a high focus on the appropriate management of bauxite residue, a by-product of the refining process.
The research and development team at EGA has developed new ways to re-use bauxite residue as manufactured soil and is exploring further possible applications, such as in innovative building materials. EGA’s Al Taweelah site was certified to the Aluminium Stewardship Initiative’s Performance Standard in 2019, and EGA’s Jebel Ali site was certified in 2021. GAC achieved certification earlier this year.
Abdulnasser Bin Kalban, CEO of Emirates Global Aluminium, said, “Aluminium has an essential role to play in the development of a more sustainable society, and it also matters how sustainably aluminium is made. Certification to the Aluminium Stewardship Initiative’s Performance Standard is a transparent and independent verification of our commitment to sustainability, and I am proud all EGA’s operational assets are now certified. Our next goal is to start producing ASI-certified metal during next year, and to produce only ASI-certified metal by 2030.”
Fiona Solomon, CEO of the Aluminium Stewardship Initiative, said, “In 2019, EGA became the first company in the Middle East to achieve an Aluminium Stewardship Initiative Performance Standard certification, for its Al Taweelah smelter in the UAE. More recently, EGA’s subsidiary Guinea Alumina Corporation led the way by achieving the first certification of bauxite mining in Africa for their operations in Guinea, a country with globally important bauxite reserves and also one where the industry’s commitment to sustainability is tested. EGA's pursuit of certifying all its global operations underscores the relevance and applicability of the Aluminium Stewardship Initiative Performance Standard in diverse operational landscapes and reinforces the Standard's role in fostering responsible practices throughout the entire aluminium value chain.”
