The Taweelah Aluminium Extrusion Company (TALEX), recently inaugurated at the Khalifa Industrial Zone Abu Dhabi (KIZAD), aims to cater to growing demand for aluminium and its proprietary hard alloys in the global construction, automotive, locomotive and aerospace industries.
TALEX is the result of a $240 million investment through a joint venture between industrial holding company SENAAT, which manages assets for the Abu Dhabi government, and Al Ghurair Group’s Gulf Extrusions.
Spreading over 200,000m2, TALEX has an estimated production capacity of 50,000 tonnes per annum of aluminium profiles and 45,000 tonnes of aluminium billets for regional and international markets. The plant features state-of-the-art technologies and operating equipment offering an integrated aluminium cycle that starts with liquid metal, to casting, extrusion surface treatment and precision machining fabrication.
Ali Murshed Al Marar, chairman of TALEX said: “The inauguration of TALEX further strengthens the strategic pillars of Abu Dhabi’s focused industrial strategy in line with the economic diversification plan while building a competitive edge for ‘made in UAE’ industrial products. TALEX’s ability to apply innovative operating systems that add efficiency to the process of supplying aluminium products is a shining example of UAE’s increasing technological and industrial know-how. Our timing is also perfect, as worldwide demand for aluminium products is growing, which makes for an exciting future for this business.”
Majid Saif Al Ghurair, vice chairman of TALEX, said: “We have built the most advanced and innovative aluminium extrusion plant in the Middle East, which has an exceptional potential to drive market growth and create value for its shareholders. Our main scope is the automotive, transportation, architecture and construction industries. We have witnessed a rise in global demand for precision engineered aluminium products for the automotive sector. This market is looking for lightweight materials to help improve performance whilst also reducing pollution.”
TALEX receives liquid metal from Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA). Molten aluminium is delivered in a crucible on a truck at 950oC and poured directly into TALEX’s melting furnace. In this way, TALEX saves the cost of re-melting aluminium ingots.
Jamal Salem Al Dhaheri, CEO, SENAAT said: “TALEX demonstrates SENAAT’s commitment to developing industrial downstream projects in the Emirate in full alignment with the Abu Dhabi Economic Vision 2030. In addition, the plant complements Abu Dhabi’s vision to establish integrated industrial plants, to be the cornerstone of the Emirate’s industrial sector development. TALEX can respond quickly and cost-effectively to sophisticated customers’ demands for precision engineered aluminium products locally, regionally and internationally, which are in line with the growth predictions for the global aluminium extrusion market, which is projected to grow at a CAGR of more than 6% by 2020. TALEX also has investment plans for the Australian market and is also continuously developing its market share in North America, Europe, India and Middle East markets.”
