Emirates Steel, the only integrated steel plant in the UAE utilising the latest technology to produce high-quality rebar, wire rod and heavy sections, has now enhanced its facility in the Industrial City of Abu Dhabi to manufacture 40 mm reinforcing steel bars (rebar) and achieve import substitution.

“We are happy to announce we have added a new 40 mm size to our existing range of 8 mm to 32 mm rebar,” said engineer Saeed G Al Romaithi, CEO of Emirates Steel. Emirates Steel’s product range includes rebar and rebar in coil, wire rod and hot rolled structural steel sections which include beams, columns, channels, angles and sheet piles, direct reduced iron and steel billets. With the addition of the 40 mm size, the rebar range is now complete.

“We want to make sure we provide the market with its requirements of steel rebar in all sizes to cover the needs of our customers and bridge the gap in the market,” added Al Romaithi. Prior to that, requirements for 40 mm rebar were covered by imports, mainly from Turkey. But now that Emirates Steel has added that size to its portfolio, the need for imports has capsized.”

According to statistics released by Emirates Steel, consumption of rebar in the UAE in 2012 reached 160,000 tonnes per month. Of that, consumption of 40 mm rebar, which is used mainly in constructing huge building towers, sizable manufacturing units and bridges, stood at around two per cent. These figures are expected to remain unchanged in 2013. Al Romaithi expects Emirates Steel to grab the largest share in the 40 mm bracket of the rebar market against Turkish domination.

To start production of the new-size rebar, certain technical modifications had to be made to the rebar plant. Emirates Steel is a leading producer of rebar, which is regarded as a premium quality product due to the sourcing of premium quality iron ore, state-of-the-art assets used in the manufacturing process and the implementation of internal quality control procedures.

Emirates Steel is certified to manufacture Grade B500B rebar and coil in addition to Grade 460B.

Emirates Steel is owned by Senaat, the UAE’s largest industrial conglomerate and a driving force for implementing the Abu Dhabi government’s industrial diversification policy. Strategically located in the Industrial City of Abu Dhabi, some 35 km away from the heart of the city of Abu Dhabi, Emirates Steel is the only integrated steel plant in the UAE, utilising the latest rolling mill technology to produce rebar, wire rod and heavy sections.

Established in 1998, it began producing at a capacity of 3.5 million tonnes per year, following two expansions and the investment of Dh10 billion ($ 2.72 billion).