EGA initiates construction of UAE’s largest aluminium recycling plant

Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA), the world's leading producer of 'premium aluminium,' has officially begun the construction of the largest aluminium recycling plant in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). 

The facility, set to process 170 thousand tonnes of aluminium annually, will be adjacent to EGA's existing smelter in Al Taweelah. 

Industry analysts foresee a significant surge in global demand for recycled aluminium, projecting an increase from 27 million tonnes per year in 2022 to 57 million tonnes by 2040. This growth is expected to constitute approximately 60 per cent of the global aluminium supply increase between 2022 and 2030, and around 70 per cent between 2030 and 2040.

The recycling plant is designed to transform post-consumer aluminium scrap, including used window frames, and pre-consumer aluminium scrap from extrusion production into premium aluminium billets with low-carbon and high-quality characteristics. 

Currently, a substantial amount of aluminium scrap generated in the UAE is exported for processing outside the country, causing economic losses at the national level. With the completion of the recycling plant, EGA aims to become the largest consumer of aluminium scrap in the UAE, further contributing to the nation's economic growth.

Abdulnasser Bin Kalban, the CEO of Emirates Global Aluminium, underlined the importance of aluminium recycling, stating, "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. 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 300bn industrial growth strategy," added Abdulnasser Bin Kalban.

The resulting metal will be marketed as "RevivAL", catering to local and global markets. The construction project is anticipated to be completed within the next three years.

In alignment with the UAE's Net 50 by 2050 Strategic Initiative, EGA has publicly pledged to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. 

The company's commitment to sustainable practices is evident in its previous accomplishments, such as being the first company to commercially produce aluminium using solar power, known as CelestiAL, starting in 2021. In 2023, EGA expanded its low-carbon metal portfolio with CelestiAL-R, combining solar and recycled aluminium to achieve even lower carbon intensity. The BMW Group is the first customer of this innovative metal. With RevivAL, EGA's pathway to achieve net-zero by 2050 holds great promise.