The first delivery of hot, molten aluminium directly from EGA’s Al Taweelah operations in Khalifa Industrial Zone Abu Dhabi (KIZAD) to Ducab Aluminium Company, a new downstream extrusion plant in the emerging aluminium hub in KIZAD, has been completed.
The metal – which Ducab Aluminium Company will use to produce aluminium electrical cables – is transported along a dedicated Hot Metal Road.
The direct delivery is facilitated by a dedicated, Liquid Metal Transfer (LMT) facility, developed at Al Taweelah operations to transport liquid metal to downstream customers. The first of its kind in the UAE, the LMT comprises a transfer building with an overhead crane where the hot, molten metal received from Reduction at Al Taweelah operations is transferred to a preheated, road going crucible with a capacity of 14.5 tonnes. The latter is mounted on a trailer and has 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.
Taweelah Extrusion (Talex), one of another two downstream industries developed in KIZAD that have signed contracts to receive hot molten metal from the LMT, will use it to produce billets for extrusion, serving the construction and automotive industries. “For these businesses, 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 aluminium 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 minimising carbon emissions.”
Once all the planned downstream aluminium industries at KIZAD are fully commissioned and performing well, EGA can deliver up to 250,000 tpa of hot, molten aluminium via the LMT.