Ducab, a leading manufacturer of high-quality power cables in the Middle East, is setting up a copper rod casting plant at its Abu Dhabi factory at a cost of Dh125 million ($34.03 million).

The move is part of the company’s strategy for backward integration of processes, mainly to cater to its raw material requirements for the manufacture of high quality power cables.
The new plant will have a manufacturing capacity up to 160,000 tonnes of eight mm copper rod a year, produced to meet the highest levels of international standards, says a company spokesman.
The plant, equipped with the most advanced technology and equipment, will utilise the state-of-the-art Contirod technology and equipment, developed by German SMS Meer. 
 “Our decision to invest in this copper rod casting plant will help us to achieve greater economies of scale and improve our competitiveness. A better control on raw materials will facilitate Ducab to have a better command over the entire value chain,” says Colin Paskins, managing director of Ducab.
The copper rod casting plant will be situated in the company’s production facility at Abu Dhabi, which is Ducab’s biggest investment since its inception and has been built as part of the company’s corporate strategy of increasing its business to Dh2 billion by 2010.