Strong interest in billet and other products promises growth in market share
United Arab Emirates: By exhibiting jointly at the 10th International Aluminium Extrusion Technology Seminar and Exposition ("ET '12"), held in Miami, Florida mid-May 2012, the UAE's two primary aluminium producers - Dubai Aluminium ("DUBAL") and Emirates Aluminium ("EMAL") - have once again successfully promoted their combined portfolio of world-class premium purity, high quality products to key decision-makers in the industry. Strong interest was shown through high visitor numbers to the stand, and a significant number of key meetings with existing and prospective customers - together promising growth in market share.
The combined exhibition stand focused on billets, being the feedstock for extruded aluminium products. Ranked among the world's leaders in the production of primary aluminium billet, DUBAL and EMAL produced and sold a collective 975,000 metric tonnes of billets worldwide in 2011 - almost 55 per cent of their combined total production of 1.87 million metric tonnes.
Walid Al Attar (Executive Vice President: Marketing & Sales at DUBAL and Vice President: Marketing & Sales at EMAL) attributes the global demand for DUBAL and EMAL billets to several factors, especially their superior quality and intrinsic purity; and the wide range of billet options on offer. "We manufacture all our logs according to customer specifications in the common 1000, 3000 and 6000 AA alloy series," he explains. "To ensure absolute quality, our billets are produced primarily using Airslip technology, then homogenized and 100 per cent ultrasound inspected before delivery."
Produced in various alloys, in lengths ranging from 420 mm to 7,500 mm and diameters of 152 mm to 406 mm, DUBAL and EMAL billets are used extensively for architectural purposes in construction projects (such as window and door frames), industrial and transportation purposes; as well as for forging purposes in automotive industries, and many other applications. "The wide range of diameter and cut-length options we offer means that DUBAL and EMAL can cater for virtually every billet need in the market," Al Attar continues. "What's more, our products are complemented by an in-depth understanding of industry trends, acquired through close partnership-type relationships with our customers, which allows us to provide valuable support to this important segment of our business. We also invest substantial sums of money in providing technical consultancy services that enable our customers to maximize operating efficiencies, optimize profits and increase productivity."
In addition to billets, DUBAL also produces high-purity aluminium ingots for use in the electronics and aerospace industries; and foundry alloy ingots, which are absorbed primarily by the automotive sector. EMAL's product portfolio also includes foundry ingots, used in the automotive sector; and sheet ingots, which are primarily destined for the packaging industry, lithographic sheets and the automotive industry.
Approximately 123,900 metric tonnes (about 12 per cent) of DUBAL's 2011 production was shipped to North America, as was some 119,160 metric tonnes of that produced by EMAL. "This is a significant volume of metal, and is indicative of how important the American market is to us," concludes Al Attar. "Our participation at ET '12 reflects our expectation of further growth in this market going forward - a trend that has already prompted strengthening of our existing offices in the USA."
About DUBAL
With a hot metal production capacity in excess of one million metric tonnes per year, DUBAL's Jebel Ali complex ranks as the world's largest single-site primary aluminium smelter using pre-baked anode technology. DUBAL is internationally renowned for its premium purity, high quality products; and exports more than 90 per cent of its annual production to about 50 countries across the globe. The company, which is widely acknowledged as the UAE's industrial flagship, places the safety and health of its employees above other priorities. DUBAL also owns 50 per cent of Emirates Aluminium ("EMAL") in Al Taweelah, Abu Dhabi, where the first phase of construction is complete and the full 740,000 metric tonnes per year production capacity has been commissioned. Construction of EMAL Phase II, which will increase EMAL's total production capacity to 1.3 million metric tonnes per year, began mid-2011. In addition, DUBAL holds shares in upstream development projects.
About EMAL
EMAL, a 50:50 joint venture between DUBAL and Mubadala, was established in February 2007 to construct what will become one of the world's largest single-site aluminium smelter complex. The project is being built in two Phases. Energizing of the 756 reduction cells in EMAL Phase I, with a total capacity of 750,000 metric tonnes per annum, took place between 1 December 2009 and 31 December 2010 -- with full production being reached four months ahead of schedule, yet within budget. The company already enjoys a strong reputation for sound safety management, wellbeing programmes for its employees and adopting global best practices to minimize its environmental footprint -- the latter entrenched through the implementation of DX Reduction Technology, which offers enhanced energy efficiency and productivity levels yet lower environmental emissions than comparative technologies. These attributes are complemented by initiatives to harness Emirati talent through job-creation, engaging the community in corporate activities and celebrating the national and cultural heritage of the UAE.
EMAL Phase II was announced in July 2011. A new 444-cell potline will be built which, together with a technology upgrade of the existing cells, will increase EMAL's annual production capacity to around 1.3 million metric tonnes by the end of 2014. DUBAL DX Technology has been licensed to and installed at EMAL Phase I; while the new generation, enhanced DUBAL DX+ Technology has been licensed for EMAL Phase II.
© Press Release 2012
