Ma'aden seals an agreement with GlassPoint to build the world's largest solar powered steam plant to decarbonize its alumina refinery

The Saudi Arabia state-owned mining company headquartered in Riyadh, Ma'aden has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with GlassPoint, the leading manufacturer of industrial solar steam generators using solar thermal technology to generate steam for industrial processes.

The signed agreement reveals that the development of the world’s largest solar process steam plant at Ma’aden’s alumina refinery following its accomplishment will generate a 1500 MW solar steam facility to support the refinery diminishing carbon emissions by over 600,000 tonnes per annum. Approximately 50% of the emissions in MA'ADEN's alumina refinery and 4% of its overall emissions will be reduced.

Founder and CEO of GlassPoint, Dr Rod MacGregor, senior vice president of MA'ADEN's aluminium division and Riyadh Al Nassar, president of MA'ADEN's aluminium division, signed the MOU at MA'ADEN's Riyadh offices, witnessed by CCOs Robert Wilt and Jacob Drejer of GlassPoint.

The CEO of MA'ADEN, Robert Wilt said, "As the third pillar of the Saudi economy, we aspire to be a role model in ESG in the Kingdom. This significant development will dramatically reduce our carbon footprint and bring us closer to our mandate of carbon neutrality by 2050. As the world moves towards green aluminium, MA'ADEN intends to help lead the way in this transition."

Riyadh Al Nassar, the SVP Aluminum SBU of MA'ADEN stated: "The proposed new facility, a solar thermal plant known as MA'ADEN Solar 1, will be located in Ras al Khair, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and will harness the power of the sun to produce steam. The steam will be used to refine bauxite ore into alumina. Alumina is a critical feedstock to Aluminum, which is one of the world's most crucial metals for many global industries going into a future that is focused on environment and sustainability."

"MA'ADEN is leading the way to reduce industrial carbon emissions at scale by replacing fossil fuels with solar power to create heat. This facility when built will be the largest industrial solar steam plant in the world and the first deployed in both Saudi Arabia and the aluminium supply chain," said Rod MacGregor, CEO and founder of GlassPoint. "With this MOU, GlassPoint is entering a new phase of growth to help decarbonize a range of industries seeking to lower their carbon footprint."

This agreement will enable MA'ADEN and GlassPoint to work together on producing aluminium more sustainably, a metal that is crucial to many global industries and key to the energy transition. GlassPoint is re-establishing itself as a market leader in solar process heat with this MOU as well.