Senaat and Ducab joint venture to develop Dh 220m aluminium rod mill

Dubai: Senaat and Ducab have announced the formation of a joint venture company, in order for the two industrial giants to collaborate on a project to build a 50,000 tpa aluminium rod mill. The new entity, "Ducab Aluminium", will draw on the outstanding experience that Senaat and Ducab have accumulated as one of the largest industrial holding companies in the UAE and one of the largest manufacturers of wires and cables in the Middle East respectively. When complete, the new plant will manufacture Electrical Conductive (EC) grade and aluminium alloy rods, wires, and bare overhead conductors. Environment-friendly processes will be employed within the mill, and liquid aluminium will be supplied from the EMAL smelter in Taweelah, Abu Dhabi. The total cost of the project is expected to be in the region of Dh 220 million (US$ 60 million). This estimated figure includes the plant and machinery, as well as associated buildings and infrastructure. Commenting on the new collaboration between Senaat and Ducab, Eng. Suhail Bin Athaeeth Al Ameri, CEO, Senaat said: "As one of the largest industrial investment and holding companies in the UAE, Senaat is focused on supporting the development of the non-hydrocarbon sector and its contribution to the economy. This new joint venture with Ducab is a testament to our ability to successfully create, optimise and champion industrial assets in Abu Dhabi and the UAE, creating value and further expanding the country's industrial capabilities." "The plant will also enable truly world-class aluminium technology and products to be developed in an extremely efficient and reliable environment. The new joint venture will build on Ducab's deep technical knowledge in the casting of metals, and the metals industry, which will enable it to produce products to the highest international standards," Al-Ameri added. Eng. Jamal Salem Al-Dhaheri, Chairman of Ducab and COO of Senaat, stated, "Ducab's reputation as one of the largest manufacturers of wires and cables in the Middle East is already well established; this new collaboration with Senaat will allow us to cement that even more strongly. We are excited about the possibilities and potential that the joint venture offers, and expect that it will not merely enable Ducab to solidify its sales within existing markets, but also to significantly penetrate new markets as well." The plant's location has been settled as being in the Khalifa Industrial Zone of Abu Dhabi (KIZAD) within the area known as KP3. The mill will be located within proximity of the EMAL smelter on the hot metal road'. Once established, the plant's target markets will be the GCC and MENA regions, with possible expansion opportunities to be explored in Europe and the Indian subcontinent at a later date. Ducab Aluminium will draw upon both Ducab and Senaat's expertise in order to maximise the plant's potential, and will particularly take advantage of Ducab's extensive and established sales and logistics networks within these regions. The creation of Ducab Aluminium aims to capitalise on the growing market demand for aluminium rods and conductors within the MENA region. Ducab's proven record as the operator of the Ducab copper rod mill in Mussaffah, Abu Dhabi and as a quality conscious, customer-focused supplier of copper rod throughout the Middle East will be extremely valuable for the new entity. – Emirates News Agency, WAM