Construction of UAE’s largest aluminium recycling plant starts in Abu Dhabi

Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA) has started construction of the UAE’s largest aluminium recycling plant in Abu Dhabi.

The 170 thousand tonnes per year facility is being built next to EGA’s existing smelter in Al Taweelah. The plant will process post-consumer aluminium scrap such as used window frames, as well as pre-consumer aluminium scrap from extrusion production, into low-carbon, high-quality premium aluminium billets.

“Aluminium recycling is key to our metal achieving its enormous potential to contribute to decarbonisation while improving global living standards. This makes recycling the biggest global growth opportunity for our industry, and for EGA,” said Abdulnasser Bin Kalban, chief executive officer of EGA – the largest ‘premium aluminium’ producer in the world.

Market analysts expect global demand for recycled aluminium to grow from some 27 million tonnes per year in 2022 to 57 million tonnes in 2040. Recycled aluminium is expected to account for around 60 per cent of the growth in global aluminium supply between now and 2030, and around 70 per cent of supply growth between 2030 and 2040.

The new facility will supply local and global markets with low-carbon metal under the product name RevivAL. Construction is expected to be completed within three years. Most of the aluminium scrap generated in the UAE is currently exported for processing outside the country and is lost to the national economy. Once the recycling plant is complete, EGA expects to become the largest consumer of aluminium scrap in the UAE.

Aluminium is infinitely recyclable. Recycling aluminium requires 95 per cent less energy than making new metal and results in a fraction of the greenhouse gas emissions of primary aluminium production.

“Our construction of a major aluminium recycling plant will provide low carbon product options for our local and global customers while contributing to the national Operation 300 billion industrial growth strategy.”

EGA was the first company to produce aluminium commercially using solar power, which is marketed under the product name CelestiAL, starting in 2021. Last year, EGA produced 57 thousand tonnes of CelestiAL. This year, EGA expanded its low-carbon metal portfolio, combining solar and recycled aluminium to achieve even lower carbon intensity. This product is called CelestiAL-R. BMW Group is the first customer of this metal. EGA has publicly committed to reaching net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, in line with the UAE’s Net 50 by 2050 Strategic Initiative.

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