Emirates Global Aluminium, BP partner on reducing CO2 intensity: State-owned aluminum manufacturer Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA) signed a non-binding agreement with British oil firm BP to explore pathways for pushing down the emissions of the company’s calcined petroleum coke (CPC) supply chain, according to Wam. A timeline and price tag on the projects that will fall under the umbrella of the non-exclusive agreement were not disclosed.

What’s this CPC they speak of? CPC — a carbon-rich solid with a hydrocarbon composition of between 90-97% — is a critical component of aluminum production. CPC is produced by heating raw petroleum coke to temps ranging between 1.2k-1.35k°C to remove hydrocarbons and excess moisture in a bid to create electrically conductive anodes, according to research by oil and gas firm Oxbow.

The details: EGA — which uses some 1 mn tons of petroleum coke annually and has been sourcing a chunk of its supply from BP since 2012 — wants to jointly study mechanisms of minimizing its carbon footprint from CPC utilization and could set up a CPC blending facility in the UAE to support more emissions-efficient of CPC production, according to the news agency.

REMEMBER- EGA has been making moves to decarbonize its operations: In November, the company purchased clean energy certificates for 1.1 mn MWh of electricity from the Emirates Water and Electricity Company to support its production of its solar aluminum brand CelestiAL. EGA was also the first UAE-headquartered firm to join the First Movers Coalition by committing to sourcing the materials it needs for aluminum production from low-carbon sources, and signed an agreement earlier in September with the UAE’s Energy and Infrastructure Ministry to join the UAE Hydrogen Leadership Initiative, exploring prospects for decarbonization across industries and the possible use of low-carbon hydrogen.

OTHER STORIES WORTH KNOWING ABOUT THIS MORNING-

• The Spanish Confederation of Business Organizations is eyeing a number of potential investments in Morocco’s renewables sector. (SNRT News)
• Oman will kick off operations at its Sustainability Center by the end of the year in a bid to realize its national carbon neutrality target for 2050. (Oman Daily Observer)