EGA pioneers renewable power: Groundbreaking ceremony of the region’s first industrial data centres in Jebel Ali & Al Taweelah

On February 29, 2024, Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA), the largest industrial company in the country outside the oil and gas sector, marked a significant milestone. The company announced the groundbreaking for the region's inaugural 100 per cent renewable energy-powered industrial data centres at its Jebel Ali and Al Taweelah sites.

About the upcoming data centres

The upcoming data centres will bolster the resilience of EGA's computing infrastructure and are set to achieve certification to the prestigious Uptime Institute's Tier III standard, which serves as a global benchmark for data centres. Globally, the demand for computing power currently constitutes approximately seven per cent of global electricity consumption. This figure is projected to surge to 13 per cent by 2030, as highlighted by the European Commission.

These cutting-edge data centres signify a pivotal advancement for EGA, as they will facilitate the further integration of artificial intelligence and automation solutions into the core of the company's industrial operations. Moreover, EGA aims to slash its total IT energy consumption by an impressive 50 per cent through the implementation of real-time Artificial Intelligence-optimized power and cooling management, alongside the utilisation of the latest generation computer infrastructure.

In collaboration with the local technology provider Scientechnic, EGA is spearheading the development of these innovative data centres. This construction project is a cornerstone of EGA's digital roadmap, a comprehensive strategy revolutionising the company's operations by adopting Industry 4.0 principles and a broader digital transformation initiative.

What they said

Abdulnasser Bin Kalban, Chief Executive Officer of Emirates Global Aluminium, said: "EGA's bold aspiration to innovate the future of aluminium production is a source of our global competitive advantage, and this includes leading our sector in the implementation of Industry 4.0. Our new data centres, combined with our existing cloud computing resources, transform our data processing capacity. Improving the environmental sustainability of EGA's computing infrastructure is part of our commitment to embed sustainability in everything we do. The construction of EGA's new on-site data centres is an important milestone in our goal to establish a thriving manufacturing innovation ecosystem in the UAE."

"Our new data centres will optimise the resilience and sustainability of EGA's digital manufacturing platform which supports data-heavy artificial intelligence and advanced automation solutions. This will help enable EGA's future ambition of self-optimising artificial intelligence driven plant operations, such as fully-autonomous crane and vehicle operations," added Carlo K Nizam, Chief Digital Officer of Emirates Global Aluminium.

Positive side of the hybrid cloud solution

Establishing the new data centres and deploying the hybrid cloud solution results in a remarkable 2,300-fold increase in EGA's data processing capacity. Simultaneously, this initiative significantly drives down unit processing costs, ensuring EGA's computing capabilities are future-proofed for the company's ongoing digital transformation efforts.

With a legacy of over 30 years in developing cutting-edge technology within the UAE, EGA remains steadfast in its commitment to enhancing the efficiency of the aluminium smelting process. The company's locally engineered technologies are recognised as the most efficient and competitive within the global aluminium industry. Headquartered in Dubai, Scientechnic is one of the region's premier integrated solution providers, specialising in electrical, mechanical, power, automation, and mobility technologies.

Other strategic partnership

In a significant move last year, EGA unveiled a strategic partnership with Microsoft UAE to propel the company's digital roadmap forward. This collaboration led to migrating two-thirds of EGA's server and applications infrastructure to the Microsoft Azure Hybrid Cloud platform. This innovative hybrid cloud setup leverages computing resources on-site at EGA and within Microsoft's advanced data centres.

Microsoft and EGA hold membership in the UAE Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology's esteemed Industry 4.0 Champions Network, which is dedicated to expediting the adoption of Industry 4.0 technologies across various sectors of the UAE industry.