EGA opens UAE’s largest aluminium recycling plant in Al Taweelah
EGA inaugurates UAE’s largest aluminium recycling plant in Al Taweelah, processing 185,000 tonnes annually to boost the circular economy and lower industrial emissions.
The Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA) has officially opened the UAE’s largest aluminium recycling plant at Al Taweelah, a major step in the company’s expansion into low‑carbon aluminium production and circular manufacturing. The new aluminium recycling plant, with an annual processing capacity of 185,000 tonnes, will convert both post‑consumer and pre‑consumer scrap into high‑quality alloys and ingots for local and international markets. Government ministers, senior environment officials and EGA leadership attended the inauguration, underscoring the project’s strategic importance for the UAE’s industrial and climate objectives.
Ceremony attended by ministers and company leaders
The launch was attended by the Minister of Climate Change and Environment, Dr Amina bint Abdullah Al‑Dhahak, and Dr Shaikha Salem Al Dhaheri, Secretary‑General of Abu Dhabi’s Environment Authority. EGA’s chairman Hamid Al‑Shamri and vice‑chair Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer joined board members and senior management for the event. Their presence signalled public‑private alignment on circular economy priorities and low‑carbon industrial development.
Plant capacity and product range
The Al Taweelah facility is designed to process 185,000 tonnes of aluminium scrap every year, transforming collected waste into premium recycled aluminium products. EGA will market recycled alloys and cylinders under the RevivAL brand, aimed at customers seeking lower‑emission feedstock. The plant can blend recycled aluminium with primary metal produced using renewable and nuclear energy sources, sold under the CelestiAL‑R and MinimAL‑R brands respectively.
Environmental benefits and energy savings
Officials highlighted aluminium recycling as a cornerstone of the UAE’s circular economy strategy because aluminium can be recycled indefinitely without quality loss. Recycling aluminium consumes up to 95 percent less energy than producing primary metal from ore, a significant factor in lowering greenhouse gas emissions from manufacturing. The facility is therefore pitched as both a climate‑aligned industrial asset and a means to conserve resources and reduce waste.
Economic impact and onshore processing
Previously much of the UAE’s aluminium scrap was exported for overseas processing, which shifted value‑adding activity out of the domestic economy. By retaining processing capacity at home, EGA expects to capture more of that value locally and become the country’s largest consumer of aluminium scrap. The move supports national goals to localise industry, increase downstream manufacturing and strengthen supply chains for low‑carbon materials.
Construction scale and safety record
Construction of the Al Taweelah recycling plant required more than four million hours of labour and was completed without any lost‑time injuries, EGA reported. The project used over 26,300 cubic metres of concrete — roughly equivalent to the volume of more than ten Olympic‑size swimming pools — and some 4,600 metric tonnes of structural steel. Those figures emphasise the facility’s physical scale and the engineering resources mobilised to deliver it.
Market positioning and decarbonisation strategy
EGA positions the new plant as integral to its strategy of supplying low‑carbon aluminium to industries seeking to decarbonise, including automotive, packaging and construction sectors. By offering recycled aluminium alongside primary metal produced with solar and nuclear power, the company aims to provide customers with a suite of lower‑emission options. This product diversification aligns with broader corporate and national targets to reduce industrial emissions while maintaining competitiveness.
The Al Taweelah recycling plant represents a strategic investment in both industrial capability and climate resilience, enabling EGA to process significant volumes of domestic scrap while offering customers certified low‑carbon aluminium options. The facility’s capacity, safety record and integration with renewable and nuclear‑backed primary metal reinforce its role as a national asset supporting the UAE’s circular economy and emissions reduction ambitions.
