Emirates Steel Arkan Group, the UAE’s largest listed steel and building materials company, appointed ENGIE Impact, a global advisory firm dedicated to accelerating the sustainability transformation of companies. ENGIE Impact will assess the business’ CO2 footprint, further strengthen Emirates Steel’s pioneering sustainability initiatives, and convert this vision into a detailed roadmap for the next 10 years.
The appointment is in line with the Group’s leading position as one of the world’s steel producers with the lowest CO2 emissions per tonne and the first manufacturing company in the Middle East to be verified for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) green building system documentation.
Engineer Saeed Ghumran Al Remeithi, Group CEO of Arkan and CEO of Emirates Steel, said: “Emirates Steel Arkan Group is committed to producing steel and other construction materials sustainably and safely. We have always been conscious of the need to have sustainability as the foundation of our business by developing innovative systems and adopting cutting-edge technologies. The appointment of a key international advisor will build on our longstanding efforts and accelerate our journey towards a more sustainable, resilient business. These combined efforts are reinforcing our leadership position to drive the industry towards net zero in line with the UAE’s strategic initiative to achieve climate neutrality by 2050.”
Emirates Steel has achieved many milestones in advancing sustainability over the past years, most notably its continuous collaboration with ADNOC’s “Al Reyadah” facility, the world’s first fully commercial carbon dioxide (CO2) facility for iron and steel industry, and the first commercial-scale carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) facility in the Middle East. Through this collaboration, ” Al Reyadah” facility captures CO2 emissions from Emirates Steel’s direct reduction plants operations and then transports it through a pipeline before injecting it into the oil fields for the purposes of enhancing oil recovery. This partnership plays a fundamental role in accelerating the business’ long-term investment in decarbonisation.
In 2021, Emirates Steel partnered with TAQA to study the development of a large-scale green hydrogen project, generated entirely by renewable energy or from low-carbon power, will enable the first green steel produced in the MENA region, deepening the Group’s commitment to cementing its sustainability practices.
Emirates Steel operates its own Steel Scrap Shredding Facility to recycle scrap and to increase its usage as feedstock for the electric arc furnaces of its steel making plants. The facility plays a key role in recycling steel scrap generated in the UAE and minimising waste.
Additionally, Emirates Steel is planning to construct a fully automated and the first-of-its-kind Hot Rolled Coils (HRC) plant in the MENA region. Adopting the latest technologies, the plant will have the lowest carbon footprint in the region.
