Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA) has announced to save around US$1.36mn in energy costs each year by implementing energy conservation ideas from shop floor staff
The ideas range from new efficiencies at EGA?s smelters to optimising heating and cooling processes in order to reduce power consumption.
EGA has implemented 24 energy saving ideas from staff over the past two years.
The biggest single employee idea, which led to savings of US$740,000, was to recover waste heat energy from associated steam generators on site and convert it into usable energy.
The idea was initiated by a process efficiency team and tested by a Masters/PhD student team from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to justify safe economical operation before implementation. EGA?s research and development team have long-standing partnerships with local and international academic institutions to develop new ideas to save energy.
Abdulla Kalban, managing director and CEO at EGA, said, ?Aluminium smelting is energy intensive, so energy efficiency is an important factor in EGA?s global competitiveness. We have made big energy savings at EGA through the development of our core technology over decades, but many small ideas can also make a difference in energy use. We encourage staff to come up with ideas for improvement across our business, including in energy efficiency.?
EGA has developed its own technology in the UAE for more than 25 years. In 2016, EGA became the first UAE industrial company to licence its core industrial process technology internationally. Currently, EGA?s home-grown technology is amongst the most efficient in the global aluminium industry.
