Emsteel, the largest local steel producer in the United Arab Emirates, has announced a major step in its decarbonisation strategy through expanded cooperation with Emirates Nuclear Energy Company (ENEC). Under the arrangement, Emsteel will source clean, nuclear-generated electricity to support its steelmaking operations.
During the construction of the Barakah nuclear energy plant, the first operational multi-unit nuclear facility in the MENA region, Emsteel provided approximately 160,000 mt of nuclear-grade rebar, accounting for around 60 percent of the project’s total rebar demand.
Lower Scope 2 emissions and clean energy certificates
By accessing nuclear-generated electricity, Emsteel directly reduces its Scope 2 emissions and lowers the overall carbon intensity of steel produced in the UAE. The move also positions the company as the first steel producer in the region to utilize nuclear-derived clean energy certificates, strengthening its transparency.
Currently, Emsteel has integrated clean electricity across 86 percent of its steel operations and 14 percent of its cement production. In total, the group uses 1.48 million MWh of nuclear power and around 0.65 million MWh of solar electricity certificates across its operations. In line with its long-term decarbonisation roadmap, Emsteel is targeting 100 percent clean electricity by 2030.
Barakah’s role in UAE’s low-carbon industrial base
With annual output of around 40 TWh, the Barakah nuclear energy plant supplies up to 25 percent of the UAE’s electricity demand and avoids approximately 22.4 million mt of carbon emissions each year. Designed for at least 60 years of operation, the facility strengthens national energy security and grid resilience while providing a long-term foundation for low-carbon industrial growth.
