The National Aluminium Company (NALCO) has signed a technology licensing agreement with Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA) for a proposed zero point five mn t per annum brownfield smelter expansion at Anugola in Odisha. The agreement was concluded in Dubai and covers the DX+ Ultra aluminium smelting technology, together with licence rights, know?how, designs and technical information required for implementation. EGA will also provide technical support during the various stages of the project.

The proposed brownfield expansion will add about zero point five mn t per annum of aluminium production capacity at NALCO's Anugola smelter, and the company said this addition will move its overall aluminium production capacity towards about one mn t per annum. NALCO described the DX+ Ultra platform as being designed to support higher productivity and to improve energy performance at the smelter. The company said it expects the technology to help optimise both capital and operating costs at the expanded facility.

The managing director of NALCO, Brijendra Pratap Singh, conveyed that the adoption of advanced and efficient technology will support the company's growth and expansion plans and strengthen India's aluminium ecosystem. The agreement was signed in the presence of the NALCO managing director and EGA chief executive Abdulnasser Bin Kalban, underlining the bilateral nature of the partnership. NALCO said the technology partnership forms part of its ongoing expansion programme and is intended to align with broader industrial objectives.

Company statements indicated that the licence, combined with technical assistance from EGA, will be integrated into project planning and execution phases to ensure timely commissioning and performance outcomes. The partnership is expected to focus on delivering measurable improvements in productivity and energy efficiency as the Anugola smelter is scaled up. NALCO and EGA will continue to coordinate on engineering and deployment matters as the project advances.