UAE: Arkan cutting energy usage in response to price rises

Emirati building materials firm Arkan, which operates the Al Ain and Emirates cement factories, has announced a series of energy saving measures in response to rising prices for electricity, water and natural gas, Trade Arabia reports.

The initiatives include the installation of a waste heat recovery unit on the clinker cooler at the Al Ain cement factory. Arkan is also conducting a feasibility study on the construction of a captive coal-fired power plant for the facility.

As an interim measure, the company is to consolidate all production at the Al Ain factory, generating savings of AED45m (US$12.3m).

"We have been working continuously to drive energy and raw material costs down across our business and have implemented a range of initiatives that will mitigate to a large extent the tariff increases we face," remarked its Chairman, Jamal Salem Al Dhaheri.

"These actions will maintain our product pricing for the benefit of our customers. In today’s extremely competitive market for clinker and cement products and other speciality building materials, our strategy will continue protecting our market share in our home market and drive growth in our export markets,' he added.