Riyadh: Saudi Arabian Mining Company (MA’ADEN and GlassPoint have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding to develop the world’s largest solar process heat plant at MA’ADEN’s Alumina refinery.

When complete, the 1,500 MW solar steam facility will help MA’ADEN achieve sustainability goals by reducing carbon emissions by over 600,000 tons annually.

This represents more than 50% reduction of carbon footprint in MA’ADEN’s Alumina refinery and 4% of MA’ADEN’s overall carbon footprint.

The MOU was signed at MA’ADEN HQ in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia by senior vice president of MA’ADEN’s aluminum business Riyadh Al Nassar and, CEO and founder of GlassPoint Rod MacGregor, witnessed by Robert Wilt, CEO of MA’ADEN and Jacob Drejer, CCO of GlassPoint,

Robert Wilt, CEO of MA’ADEN stated: “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 aluminum, MA’ADEN intends to help lead the way in this transition.”

For his part, Riyadh Al Nassar 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 Aluminium, 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 in the aluminum 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.”

Under this arrangement, MA’ADEN and GlassPoint will work together developing a more sustainable way to produce aluminum, which is a crucial metal for many global industries and the energy transition. This MOU also represents GlassPoint’s reemergence as a leader in solar process heat.