EGA and BMW Group Reinstate their CelestiAL-R Supply Agreement

Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA), the world’s largest producer of premium aluminium, has announced an extension of its CelestiAL-R supply agreement with the BMW Group. This partnership, which will continue for several years, supports BMW’s goal of incorporating high-quality, sustainable aluminium into its vehicle production.

CelestiAL-R is a pioneering blend of aluminium produced using solar energy and recycled metal. As the world’s first aluminium of its kind, it enables manufacturers to minimize environmental impact through innovative, sustainable production processes.

BMW Group’s Commitment to Sustainability

The BMW Group utilizes EGA’s CelestiAL-R in the production of aluminium vehicle components, meeting stringent quality and sustainability standards. In celebration of this renewed agreement, Oliver Zipse, Chairman of BMW AG’s Board of Management, visited EGA’s Jebel Ali plant and the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, a facility operated by Dubai Electricity & Water Authority, to mark this commitment to sustainability.

A Decade-Long Partnership Focused on Solar-Powered Aluminium

EGA has been a trusted aluminium supplier for the BMW Group since 2013. Notably, BMW became the first customer to purchase CelestiAL solar aluminium in 2021, and from early 2023 onward, all aluminium supplied by EGA to BMW has been in the form of CelestiAL-R, further emphasizing BMW's dedication to eco-friendly materials.

Abdulnasser Bin Kalban, Chief Executive Officer of Emirates Global Aluminium, said: “The BMW Group demands the highest quality metal produced with solar power, and this continues to drive our innovation at EGA. Over the coming years, we will further increase the proportion of recycled metal in our CelestiAL-R for the BMW Group while meeting their metal quality specifications. I thank the BMW Group for their trust in EGA.”

Scaling Production for a Sustainable Future

Under the renewed agreement, EGA will supply tens of thousands of tonnes of CelestiAL-R annually, with plans to increase the proportion of recycled content. This ambitious goal requires precise quality control, and EGA employs optical emission spectrometry to monitor the chemical composition of the metal throughout production, ensuring it consistently meets BMW’s exact specifications. Advanced metallurgical laboratories in Jebel Ali and Al Taweelah support these processes.

A Leader in Solar-Powered Aluminium Production

EGA holds the distinction of being the first company globally to produce aluminium commercially using solar energy. Since electricity consumption accounts for roughly 60% of greenhouse gas emissions in the global aluminium industry, this achievement reflects EGA’s proactive stance in reducing its environmental footprint.

Aluminium Recycling: A Resource-Efficient Process

Aluminium’s recyclability makes it a highly sustainable material, with recycled aluminium requiring 95% less energy than primary aluminium production. This efficiency is not only cost-effective but also substantially lowers greenhouse gas emissions. To support this goal, EGA sources recycled metal from UAE providers and is developing the UAE’s largest aluminium recycling facility in Al Taweelah, expected to produce 170,000 tonnes of secondary billets annually upon completion in 2026.