Manufacturing

Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA) has announced plans to acquire an 80% stake in Italian recycling firm Eco Green, marking a further step in its international growth strategy and strengthening its presence in Europe’s secondary aluminium market.

The proposed transaction, subject to regulatory approval, will enhance EGA’s access to aluminium scrap supply chains and expand its recycling footprint across the continent. Eco Green specialises in scrap collection, sorting, casting and dross processing, handling more than 70,000 tonnes of material annually.

The company operates facilities in northeast Italy, including a site in Villafranca di Verona that manages around 23,000 tonnes of scrap each year. Part of this material is transferred to its Nogara di Verona plant, where over 20,000 tonnes of secondary aluminium products are cast annually alongside dross processing activities. An ongoing expansion at the Nogara facility is set to add a further 15,000 tonnes of recycling capacity, with completion expected in the second half of 2026.

Eco Green serves more than 60 customers across Europe, primarily in aluminium processing and semi-fabrication, with end markets spanning automotive, construction and wider industrial sectors. The business has also developed a broad sourcing network of more than 350 suppliers, ensuring a steady flow of raw materials.

Founded in 1993 by the Scappini family, Eco Green remains family-led and employs around 70 people. Its existing management team is expected to remain in place following completion of the deal.

EGA has been steadily building its global recycling capabilities, complementing its primary aluminium production. The company already operates the UAE’s largest aluminium recycling plant at Al Taweelah in Abu Dhabi and has acquired recycling assets in both Germany and the United States in recent years.

Once the Eco Green acquisition is finalised, EGA’s total recycling capacity is expected to exceed 400,000 tonnes per year across its global network, with an additional 200,000 tonnes under development in Europe and the US. The company markets its recycled aluminium under the RevivAL brand.

The move comes amid growing demand for recycled aluminium worldwide. Industry forecasts suggest demand could double by 2040, accounting for a significant share of supply growth over the coming decades. In Europe, recycled aluminium currently meets around 40% of total demand, with consumption projected to rise substantially in the years ahead.

EGA has been particularly active in expanding its European footprint. In 2024, it acquired German specialty foundry Leichtmetall and announced a major capacity expansion project at the site. In the United States, its subsidiary Spectro Alloys has also undergone recent upgrades, increasing production capacity and supporting further growth.

Recycling aluminium requires around 95% less energy than producing primary metal and results in significantly lower greenhouse gas emissions, making it a key component of the industry’s decarbonisation efforts.

Schneider Electric is set to highlight new progress in its collaboration with Microsoft at Hannover Messe, showcasing how joint innovations are helping manufacturers modernise operations and improve resilience.

At the centre of the partnership is Schneider Electric’s EcoStruxure Automation Expert platform, which provides a software-defined automation framework capable of operating across on-site, edge and hybrid environments. This is complemented by Microsoft’s Azure cloud and AI capabilities, which enable advanced data analysis, orchestration and optimisation of industrial processes.

Together, the companies are promoting a more integrated approach to manufacturing, where engineering, deployment and operations are connected through a single digital workflow. This model allows manufacturers to design automation systems once and deploy them across multiple sites without extensive reconfiguration, improving efficiency and consistency.

The approach also addresses growing industry challenges such as supply chain disruption, increasing product complexity and the need to modernise safely. By linking engineering design directly with operational execution, the platform enables better traceability, faster validation through simulation and more scalable operations.

Gwenaelle Huet, EVP of Industrial Automation at Schneider Electric, said the collaboration demonstrates a shift towards unified and interoperable manufacturing systems. “From agentic design to software-defined operations, we are enabling a single workflow that validates, simulates and deploys automation logic consistently across cloud and edge environments,” she explained.

Artificial intelligence plays a central role in this transformation. AI-driven tools can automate routine engineering tasks, validate system logic before deployment and reduce the time required to move from design to production. According to the companies, this has already resulted in significant time savings, with some engineering processes completed in a fraction of the time previously required.

In one example, the joint platform has been applied in a green hydrogen project with H2E Power, where it has supported thousands of hours of stable autonomous operation in a high-temperature industrial environment, while also helping to reduce production costs.

Dayan Rodriguez, Corporate Vice President for Manufacturing and Mobility at Microsoft, said the collaboration is helping bridge the gap between design and execution. “We are closing the loop from engineering intent to operational reality by automating decisions, validating processes early and enabling consistent deployment across environments,” he noted.

Visitors to Hannover Messe 2026 will be able to see live demonstrations of the technologies, including AI-driven engineering tools and open automation systems, as both companies continue to advance the next phase of digital manufacturing.

EMSTEEL has been named a 2026 Steel Sustainability Champion by the World Steel Association for the third consecutive year, reinforcing its position as a regional leader in low-carbon steel production.

The recognition, announced during the association’s board meeting in Berlin, highlights companies demonstrating strong commitment to sustainable practices across the global steel sector. EMSTEEL remains the only company from the MENA region to receive the distinction this year.

The award reflects the company’s continued focus on integrating sustainability into its operations. In 2025, EMSTEEL achieved a 34% reduction in absolute emissions compared to its 2019 baseline, while also improving emissions intensity across both its steel and cement businesses.

This progress has been supported by increased reliance on cleaner energy sources and ongoing efficiency improvements. A significant share of electricity consumption in its steel operations was covered by clean energy certificates, contributing to lower indirect emissions. At the same time, investments in carbon capture and energy optimisation have helped reduce direct emissions and enhance overall performance.

Eng. Saeed Ghumran Al Remeithi, Group CEO of EMSTEEL, said the recognition reflects consistent progress in advancing lower-carbon industrial practices. “Being recognised once again as a worldsteel Sustainability Champion reflects the tangible progress we are making in advancing lower-carbon steel production,” he said.

He added that the company has moved from strategy to execution, implementing key initiatives while maintaining operational strength. “Our focus remains on delivering practical and scalable solutions that support the transition to lower-carbon industries,” he noted.

EMSTEEL has also advanced innovation efforts, including the introduction of new technologies and circular economy initiatives aimed at reducing environmental impact. The company continues to collaborate with international partners to support broader decarbonisation goals and contribute to long-term sustainability targets in the UAE.

Emirates Global Aluminium has issued an initial operational update following the recent missile and drone strikes on its Al Taweelah complex, confirming extensive damage and a prolonged recovery timeline.

The facility, located within Khalifa Economic Zone Abu Dhabi, was fully evacuated as a precaution, with all major units placed into emergency shutdown. The affected assets include the smelter, casthouse, power plant, alumina refinery and recycling plant, all of which form a critical part of the company’s global production network.

EGA said restoration of primary aluminium output will require significant repairs and a phased restart of reduction cells, with early estimates indicating that full recovery could take up to 12 months. The restart process is expected to be gradual, reflecting the technical complexity of smelter operations and the need to ensure safe recommissioning.

While the smelter faces a longer timeline, the company indicated that parts of the alumina refinery and recycling plant may resume operations sooner, depending on the outcome of detailed damage assessments currently under way.

Chief executive Abdulnasser Bin Kalban said the company’s immediate priority remains the wellbeing of its workforce. “We are deeply disturbed by this attack on our people, who come from more than 40 nations and were simply doing their jobs. We thank God no one received life-threatening injuries and that those hurt are recovering well.

“Our Al Taweelah site is a foundation of the global economy, and a significant contributor to global supply, making this incident damaging to industries and prosperity worldwide. We will do our very best to support our customers around the world during this difficult period. We are working directly with customers whose deliveries might be impacted by the situation at Al Taweelah.”

The Al Taweelah site is one of the largest aluminium production complexes globally, producing 1.6 million tonnes of cast metal in 2025. It also houses an alumina refinery with annual output of 2.4 million tonnes, supplying nearly half of EGA’s alumina requirements, and a recycling plant with a capacity of 185,000 tonnes per year.

To mitigate supply disruptions, EGA confirmed it holds significant metal inventories, both in transit and at storage locations within the UAE and internationally. These reserves are expected to provide short-term support to customers while recovery efforts continue.

The company is coordinating closely with stakeholders to manage the operational and commercial impact, while maintaining strict safety protocols during the restoration phase.

Industry analysts note that disruptions at Al Taweelah could have broader implications for global aluminium markets, given the facility’s scale and strategic importance. EGA said it will continue to provide updates as assessments progress and recovery plans are refined.