Emirates Global Aluminium, producer and smelter operator, and Emirates Nuclear Energy Company, nuclear utility, have delivered the UAE’s first batch of aluminium made with electricity from the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant, branding the product “MinimAL” and sending initial tonnes to Egypt’s Canex Aluminium for downstream uses in infrastructure, solar, transport and architecture. The launch adds a nuclear-powered line alongside EGA’s solar-sourced “CelestiAL,” expanding options for customers seeking verifiably low-carbon metal.
How the product works and how it’s certified
MinimAL is produced at EGA’s UAE smelters using clean electricity that is certified under Abu Dhabi’s Clean Energy Certificate scheme, which follows the I-REC standard for tracking generation attributes. Power is supplied via the national grid by Emirates Water and Electricity Company, with certificates attesting to the zero-carbon source from Barakah. ENEC and the Abu Dhabi Department of Energy say this framework enables industrial buyers to credibly account for Scope 2 reductions in energy-intensive processes.
Industry context and environmental footprint
Aluminium smelting is power-intensive, and generation accounts for the majority of sector emissions. Nuclear offers 24/7 clean baseload, which can lower the embodied carbon of primary metal without intermittency constraints. Barakah—now with all four units in commercial operation—prevents up to 22.4 million tonnes of CO₂ annually (roughly equivalent to removing about 4.6–4.8 million cars from the road) and supplies a growing share of the country’s electricity. ENEC frames the plant as the largest single source of clean power in the region.
Market impact and pricing
Buyers in autos, construction and packaging are tightening procurement around verified low-carbon inputs. EGA says demand for low-carbon aluminium is set to triple by 2040, and the firm is positioning MinimAL (nuclear) alongside CelestiAL (solar) to meet varied customer requirements and certification schemes. On the pricing backdrop, LME three-month aluminium traded around $2,590–$2,610 per tonne in recent sessions; any premium for certified low-carbon units will depend on customer specifications and policy drivers in end markets.
Company Background and Market Context
EGA is the UAE’s largest industrial company outside oil and gas and has pursued multiple clean-power routes to cut the footprint of its metal. In 2022 it began purchasing Clean Energy Certificates from EWEC to support CelestiAL, produced using grid-delivered solar power. The MinimAL collaboration with ENEC extends that approach to nuclear-sourced electricity, with the inaugural shipment to Canex in Egypt. World Nuclear News and regional outlets report the partners plan continued deliveries under the certification programme as customer uptake grows.
Aluminium is foundational to transport, construction and packaging because of its strength-to-weight ratio and recyclability. Prices on the LME have eased from spring highs but remain near $2,600/t; verified low-carbon variants aim to differentiate on embodied-carbon metrics rather than exchange pricing alone.
