Abu dhabi: Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA) has inaugurated the UAE's largest aluminium recycling plant, marking a significant step in EGA's commitment to low carbon aluminium production and the enhancement of the UAE's circular economy. The inauguration was attended by key figures including Dr. Amna bint Abdullah Al Dahak, Minister of Climate Change and Environment, and Dr. Shaikha Salem Al Dhaheri, Secretary-General of the Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi.
According to Emirates News Agency, Dr. Amna bint Abdullah Al Dahak emphasized the importance of recycling in the UAE's Circular Economy Policy, highlighting aluminium's potential in the shift from linear to circular production. She noted that recycling aluminium requires considerably less energy compared to producing new primary aluminium, thereby conserving energy and reducing emissions. EGA has been recognized for its leadership in the UAE's industrial sector and its commitment to aluminium recycling.
The Al Taweelah recycling plant boasts a production capacity of 185,000 tonnes per year, processing both post-consumer and some pre-consumer aluminium scrap into RevivAL, EGA's low-carbon, high-quality 'premium aluminium' billets and T-bars. EGA combines recycled metal with primary aluminium produced using solar and nuclear power, marketed as CelestiAL-R and MinimAL-R respectively.
Historically, most aluminium scrap from the UAE was exported for processing abroad, but the Al Taweelah plant now offers local processing capacity. This development positions EGA as the largest consumer of aluminium scrap in the UAE. The construction of the plant required 4 million hours of work, with no injuries reported, and utilized over 26,300 cubic metres of concrete and 4,600 metric tonnes of structural steel.
The plant began producing recycled aluminium in February, with production temporarily halted due to an Iranian attack on Khalifa Economic Zone Abu Dhabi in March. Operations resumed in April, and full production is expected within six months, contingent on scrap availability.
Abdulnasser Bin Kalban, CEO of EGA, highlighted the strategic importance of the Al Taweelah recycling plant in EGA's global aluminium recycling business, contributing to the UAE's Operation 300bn industrial growth strategy. With this and planned acquisitions, EGA's recycling capacity exceeds 400,000 tonnes per year across the UAE, Europe, and the US, with additional capacity under development.
EGA is expanding its global recycling operations, including a significant expansion in Germany and ongoing developments in the US. Additionally, EGA plans to acquire a majority stake in Italian recycling company Eco Green, pending regulatory approvals.