EGA ships bauxite cargo using LNG-fuelled ship in world decarbonisation first

Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA) today announced the world's first bauxite cargo shipment using a Liquefied Natural Gas-fuelled (LNG) vessel.

The shipment, in a Capesize ship, carries bauxite mined by EGA subsidiary Guinea Alumina Corporation to a customer in China.

LNG-fuelled ships can achieve up to 28 percent lower greenhouse gas emissions on a tank-to-wake basis compared to vessels using traditional marine bunker fuel, according to SEA-LNG, a multi-sector industry coalition. The global shipping industry as a whole was responsible for over two percent of the word's greenhouse gas emissions in 2022, according to the International Energy Agency.

The bauxite shipment is onboard the Ubuntu Empathy, an LNG dual-fuelled vessel operated by Anglo American and chartered by EGA. The vessel is one of Anglo American's 10-strong chartered fleet of lower emission LNG dual-fuelled vessels.

EGA predominantly uses Capesize vessels to ship bauxite ore from the Republic of Guinea to the company's alumina refinery in Abu Dhabi and to third-party customers worldwide. Last year, EGA exported some 14.1 million wet metric tonnes of bauxite from Guinea.

Abdulnasser bin Kalban, CEO of EGA, said, "Aluminium plays an essential role in decarbonisation economy-wide. It is also important how sustainably aluminium is produced, and this includes the transportation around the world of millions of tonnes of raw materials.

"Our approach to decarbonisation is comprehensive and extends beyond our operations to include everything from supply chain to financing. LNG-fuelled cargos are one way for us to reduce our emissions, and we are proud to pioneer this fuel for shipping bauxite. Our goal is to reach net zero by 2050, including from our supply chain, and help meet the increasing global demand for the low carbon aluminium."