EMIRATES Steel, the largest integrated manufacturer of steel in the UAE, expects demand for heavy sections in the GCC to double by 2015.

The company’s projections came during a conference it organised in Abu Dhabi last month. Attended by more than 100 contractors, consultants, fabricators and developers, the event highlighted Emirates Steel’s new heavy sections rolling mill, which has a capacity of 1 million tpy and is due to start production early next year.

The facility can produce a broad range of structural steel products, including beams and columns, channels, equal angles, unequal angles, and sheet piling.

"Once up and running, our heavy sections rolling mill will establish the company as the leading manufacturer and supplier of structural steel in the Middle East region and a centre of excellence for the effective use of metal in construction," Emirates Steel’s acting CEO Saeed Al Romaithi said.

Emirates Steel’s vice-president of commercial strategy Mubarak Al Khaili said the company’s structural steel would be essential to local and regional markets.

Pointing out to the growing number of projects in the GCC which included the development of infrastructure, industrial plants, power transmission towers, bridges, sea ports and high-rise towers, Al Khaili said that these would require a large tonnage of heavy sections which Emirates Steel would be able to supply.

Demand for medium and heavy sections in the Middle East is forecast to reach 4.3 million tonnes in 2012, with Saudi Arabia and the UAE being the biggest consumers, according to industry analyst Steel Business Briefing. Demand is currently met by imports mainly from China, Korea and Eastern Europe.

The GCC’s total steel demand is 20 million tonnes per year (tpy), compared to a capacity of 12 million tpy.