Ducab Aluminium Company (DAC), a new manufacturer of aluminum alloy rod, wire, and bare overhead conductors, received delivery of first hot metal at its facility in the Khalifa Industrial Zone Abu Dhabi (KIZAD) located in Abu Dhabi, UAE. The new AED 220 million (US$60 million) facility is a joint venture between between Senaat (40%) and its portfolio company Ducab (60%).
Using the dedicated Hot Metal Road, the liquid metal was delivered by Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA) from its Al Taweelah operations (EMAL), which are also located in KIZAD. EGA developed a new process at its Al Taweelah operations to transport liquid metal to downstream customers. The dedicated, state-of-the-art Liquid Metal Transfer (LMT) facility is first of its kind in the UAE, comprising a transfer building with an overhead crane where the hot, molten metal received from the reduction area is transferred to a preheated, road going crucible with a capacity of 14.5 tonnes. The crucible, which is mounted on a trailer, is designed to have integral security so that, in the event of any incident on the road, the risk of metal spillage is eliminated. Furthermore, the refractory lining of the crucible ensures the metal contents will remain liquid for up to 18 hours. Three trailers with their associated prime movers have been deployed and the LMT facility is capable of operating on a 24-hour basis. Prior to any transfer, all metallurgical and quality requirements are taken into account to ensure the customer receives consistent quality of metal, as specified in the order. Once all the planned downstream aluminum industries at KIZAD are fully commissioned and performing well, EGA can deliver up to 250,000 tpy of hot, molten aluminum via the LMT.
“For these businesses [such as DAC], and the many more that have already announced plans to establish facilities in KIZAD, receiving the metal in this state offers substantial operating and environmental advantages,” says Dr Feras Allan, senior vice president, Product & Casting Operations at EGA. “The fact that there is no need to re-melt the aluminum means savings in time and savings on investments in plant that would not be required. It also means reduced energy consumption, thus reducing usage of fossil fuels and minimizing carbon emissions.”
In addition to the use of liquid metal, DAC will implement environment-friendly processes throughout its facility. DAC ordered an SCR AL 3650 aluminum rod system for wire and cable from Southwire SCR Technologies, which will produce EC and 6201 electrical alloy.