NALCO picks EGA’s DX+ Ultra for 0.5 MTPA Angul aluminium smelter expansion

National Aluminium Company Limited (NALCO) has signed a Technology Licensing Agreement with Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA) to deploy EGA’s UAE-developed DX+ Ultra aluminium smelting technology at its proposed 500,000 tonnes per annum (MTPA) brownfield smelter expansion at Angul, Odisha.

The agreement was signed in Dubai on September 7, 2026, in the presence of NALCO Chairman-cum-Managing Director Brijendra Pratap Singh and EGA Chief Executive Officer Abdulnasser Bin Kalban. Biju K, Chief General Manager (Projects), signed the agreement for NALCO, while Abdalla Zarouni, Acting Executive Vice President – Midstream, signed on behalf of EGA. NALCO Director (Projects & Technical) Jagdish Arora and Director (Finance) Abhay Kumar Behuria also attended the signing ceremony.

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DX+ Ultra to drive 0.5 MTPA capacity addition

Under the agreement, EGA will provide NALCO with the DX+ Ultra technology licence, know-how, designs and technical information, along with technical support during different stages of project implementation.

DX+ Ultra is a high-amperage aluminium smelting technology designed to support higher productivity and improved energy performance. NALCO expects its deployment to help develop an efficient and competitive smelter while optimising capital and operating costs.

The brownfield expansion will add approximately 0.5 MTPA of aluminium production capacity at NALCO’s Angul facility. Combined with its existing capacity, the expansion is expected to take NALCO’s overall aluminium production capacity towards about 1 MTPA.

NALCO-EGA technology partnership

The agreement marks a new technology tie-up for NALCO as it advances its aluminium smelter expansion programme. NALCO had earlier sought technology providers with proven experience in prebake, point-fed, high-amperage aluminium reduction-cell technologies for the proposed expansion.

Commenting on the agreement, NALCO CMD Brijendra Pratap Singh said, “With EGA’s DX+ Ultra technology, we are confident that the Anugola smelter expansion project will emerge as one of the most efficient aluminium smelters in India.”

He added, “The adoption of an advanced and efficient technology for NALCO’s smelter expansion will not only support the company’s growth and expansion plans but will also strengthen India’s aluminium ecosystem. This expansion will contribute significantly towards India’s economic growth while supporting greater environmental efficiency and the vision of a Viksit Bharat.”

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Simultaneously, Abdulnasser Bin Kalban, Chief Executive Officer of Emirates Global Aluminium, shared, “EGA’s industry-leading technology development has been an essential part of the competitiveness of our own aluminium production for decades. We are also the technology provider of choice for our global industry, creating further revenue streams for our company. NALCO’s selection of EGA’s smelting technology for its Anugola expansion is another milestone in this important journey. We look forward to working with NALCO as their technology provider to make this project a great success.”

The technology agreement is part of NALCO’s broader expansion programme as the company seeks to increase its aluminium production capacity and strengthen the competitiveness of its Angul operations.