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ABU DHABI / WAM
An estimated 1.6 million tonnes of slag, a byproduct of steel manufacturing, of Emirates Steel will be processed in two years after the company signed an agreement with Finnish ECOFER Technologies.
The agreement, due to take effect in 2020, will provide Emirates Steel with sustainable slag management services for the next ten years, in line with the company’s long-term commitment and objective of eventually producing zero waste.
Saeed Ghumran Al Remeithi, Chief Executive Officer of Emirates Steel, signed the agreement with Managing Partner of ECOFER Technologies, Ismail Fahmy, at Emirates Steel’s headquarters in Abu Dhabi.
On the occasion, Al Remeithi commented, “As one of the largest integrated manufacturers of finished steel products in the region, we produce 800,000 tonnes of slag annually, and we are committed to finding ways to mitigate our impact on the environment. By deploying advanced technological solutions, such as those offered by ECOFER, we will be processing 800,000 tonnes per year, so over the first two years, we will process around 1.6 million tonnes of slag.
“We look forward to further reduce the company’s environmental footprint and enhancing our manufacturing and sustainable practices, with the long-term objective of eventually producing zero waste. Our partnership with ECOFER falls in line with our vision of becoming a world-class steel manufacturer that provides the highest quality products, services and solutions to customers while promoting sustainable solutions at the core of our business,” he added.
ECOFER will process slag from Emirates Steel’s Electric Arc Furnace, EAF, and Ladle Furnace.
The slag, which will be crushed down to one to five-millimetre granules, will be sold as a raw product for the construction industry after any remaining metals have been extracted from the slag. In addition to waste slag, ECOFER will also process refractory, heat-resistant materials which are exhausted during manufacturing.
Emirates Steel, a subsidiary of the General Holding Corporation, Senaat, has been recycling its EAF slag product since 2014, producing roughly 2,800,000 tonnes of EAF slag over the past five years and successfully selling it for use in the construction industry.
Ismail Fahmy, Managing Partner at ECOFER Technologies, said, “It is our pleasure to sign this agreement with Emirates Steel, and be able to partner with such a significant player in the heavy metals sector. This initiative, our first partnership in the UAE, is part of our expanding global business strategy, as we make strategic partnerships across the Middle East, following our first successful agreement with Ezz Steel in Egypt earlier this year. We are proud to sign this agreement with Emirates Steel.”
EAF slag, when efficiently recycled, has many uses within the construction and road industry due to its mechanical properties, strength, wear resistance and shape.
Emirates Steel has successfully used its EAF slag in recent road construction within the company’s complex.