wiredInUSA March 2018

Hamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan inaugurates Ducab Aluminium Company in Khalifa Industrial Zone

Aluminum shift

Ducab Aluminium Company (DAC), the Abu Dhabi-based aluminum rod producer, reports that it plans to export most of its output as it takes advantage of the shift from copper to aluminum for industrial usage. DAC, a joint venturebetweenDubai-based copper and aluminum wire and cable producer Ducab and Abu Dhabi industrial conglomerate Senaat, was inaugurated the in Khalifa Industrial Zone of Abu Dhabi. Ducab is a joint venturebetween sovereign wealth fund Investment Corporation of Dubai and Senaat. Andrew Shaw, managing director of Ducab, said there was room for its production capacity to grow “down the line” because demand is increasing as the cable industry replaces copper with the more affordable aluminum. The shift to aluminum in the GCC has lagged

behind that in Europe and is set to increase.

“The cable market is still dominated by copper, but aluminum usage has increased in the GCC,” Mr Shaw said. “In Europe and the US that shift has already happened.” The executive said DAC had already signed rod supply contracts with customers across the GCC, India, Lebanon, North America and Africa and that it was also planning to export to Latin America and Europe. The UAE is developing its downstream industry to help diversify revenue away from hydrocarbons. EGA, one of the world’s largest aluminum producers, is contributing to the diversification efforts by providing raw materials for downstream industries like DAC.

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wiredInUSA - March 2018