CelestiAL solar aluminium
Emirates Global Aluminium was the first company in the world to make aluminium using the power of the sun
Producing aluminium using the power of the sun
Emirates Global Aluminium is the first company in the world to produce aluminium commercially using the power of the sun. We market this metal under the product name CelestiAL. Producing aluminium is energy intensive, and generating electricity accounts for some 60 per cent of the global aluminium industry’s greenhouse gas emissions. The use of solar power significantly reduces the emissions associated with aluminium smelting.
In 2023, EGA launched CelestiAL-R, the world’s-first blend of solar aluminium and recycled metal. Blending CelestiAL solar aluminium with recycled metal further lowers the CO2 emissions intensity of metal production.
Producing aluminium requires large amounts of electricity, and generating it can create significant greenhouse gas emissions. CelestiAL aluminium, made in the UAE with solar power, helps make modern life possible for people around the world whilst protecting our planet for future generations.
Solar power is supplied by Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA), which operates the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park in the desert outside Dubai, and by Emirates Electricity and Water Company (EWEC) from Noor Abu Dhabi at Sweihan.
Solar power is transmitted to EGA via the electricity grid and is tracked and traced through the use of the International Renewable Energy Certification system. This ensures that the energy used to produce EGA’s CelestiAL solar aluminium has been sourced from the sun.
BMW Group was the first customer for CelestiAL solar aluminium and CelestiAL-R. All EGA’s aluminium supplies to BMW Group since the start of 2023 have been CelestiAL-R. The metal is used in BMW Group electric drivetrain housings, engine components and large-scale structural parts.
EGA has supplied CelestiAL solar aluminium to Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre for use in MBZ-SAT, the region’s most advanced commercial satellite in the field of high-resolution satellite imagery, which is due to be launched in 2024.
EGA also signed CelestiAL and CelestiAL-R supply agreements with Tier 1 suppliers of global automotive parts maker such as Mercedes-Benz, Nissan and Hyundai Mobis.
CelestiAL announcement: Interview with EGA's CEO
17 January 2025
EGA celebrates launch of MBZ-SAT, built with EGA’s CelestiAL solar aluminium
15 June 2023
BMW Group first to source CelestiAL-R, solar aluminium with recycled metal, from EGA
24 November 2022
EGA purchases Clean Energy Certificates for 1.1 million megawatt hours of electricity supplied by EWEC to support production of CelestiAL solar aluminium
21 April 2022
EGA to supply CelestiAL solar aluminium to parts maker Hammerer Aluminum Industries, Tier 1 supplier of a premium car manufacturer
18 January 2021
