THEBUSINESSBYTES BUREAU

DUBAI/BHUBANESWAR, SEPTEMBER 7, 2026

Navratna Central Public Sector Enterprise National Aluminium Company Limited (NALCO) has signed a Technology Licensing Agreement with Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA) for the deployment of EGA’s UAE-developed DX+ Ultra aluminium smelting technology at NALCO’s proposed 0.5 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) brownfield smelter expansion project at Anugola in Odisha.

The agreement, signed in Dubai on Monday, marks a significant step in NALCO’s ongoing expansion programme as the aluminium producer seeks to enhance productivity, energy efficiency and global competitiveness.

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

Under the technology partnership, EGA will provide NALCO with the licence, know-how, designs and technical information required to implement its DX+ Ultra technology. The UAE-based aluminium major will also extend technical support to NALCO during various stages of project implementation.

DX+ Ultra is a high-amperage aluminium smelting technology designed to deliver higher productivity and improved energy performance. Its adoption is expected to help NALCO develop a more efficient and competitive smelter while optimising both capital and operating costs.

The proposed brownfield expansion at Anugola will add around 0.5 MTPA to NALCO’s aluminium production capacity. Once commissioned, the project, along with the company’s existing capacity, will take NALCO closer to an overall aluminium production capacity of approximately 1 million tonnes per annum.

 “This agreement is a significant milestone in NALCO’s expansion programme and our endeavour to strengthen our position as a globally competitive aluminium producer,” said NALCO CMD Brijendra Pratap Singh.

 “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. 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,” he added.

Singh said the expansion would contribute significantly to India’s economic growth while supporting greater environmental efficiency and the vision of a “Viksit Bharat”.

The partnership with EGA comes as NALCO steps up efforts to modernise and expand its aluminium production footprint amid rising demand from strategic and emerging sectors of the Indian economy. The Anugola project is expected to further strengthen the company’s production capabilities while improving technological efficiency, productivity and sustainability.

For NALCO, the agreement also represents a strategic move towards deploying advanced smelting technology at scale, as India seeks to build greater domestic capacity and resilience across its aluminium value chain.