Al Ghurair Foods, the food production and processing division of Al Ghurair, has announced that its pasta manufacturing facility in Dubai’s Jebel Ali Industrial area has made the strategic shift from diesel oil to compressed natural gas (CNG) to run its production processes, a first within the company’s portfolio.

The pasta facility in Dubai produces 100 kilotons of pasta and noodles annually, contributing to the UAE’s local food manufacturing capabilities.

The transition to cleaner fuels signals the leading, diversified UAE family business’s commitment to the UAE’s climate ambitions by consistently decarbonising its operations, a statement said.

CNG is a clean-burning alternative fuel that is obtained by compressing natural gas to less than 1% of its volume at standard atmospheric pressure. It has a lower carbon footprint compared to traditional fuels, thus producing lesser greenhouse gas emissions and particulate matter.

The facility will be supplied with CNG through a virtual pipeline technology by CloudEnergi, a UAE-based clean energy solutions provider, which will allow it to reduce its carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by 31%, equivalent to 2,191 tonnes of CO2 annually.

All other business units within Al Ghurair Foods will be transitioned to natural gas over the next 12-18 months.

Turgut Yegenaga, CEO of Al Ghurair Foods and Al Ghurair Resources International, said: “The transition to natural gas to run our pasta manufacturing facility comes in response to tackling our carbon footprint at the granular level.

“It is the small changes that add up to make the most monumental difference. At Al Ghurair Foods, we are proud to support and contribute to national goals, especially in the UAE’s extended Year of Sustainability.”

Laith Madi, COO of CloudEnergi, said: "This milestone with Al Ghurair Foods is a testament to our commitment to providing sustainable, low-carbon energy solutions. It demonstrates the value we bring to the UAE’s industrial sector by unlocking the benefits of natural gas through our cutting-edge Virtual Pipeline technology.”

As a regional leader in the food industry, Al Ghurair Foods runs a number of state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities across 25 countries. – TradeArabia News Service