Ducab's copper-rod plant

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Commissioned in the middle of 2008, Ducab’s copper-rod plant in Mussaffah, Abu Dhabi has exceeded the company’s expectations. “We are very pleased at the way the plant is running,” says MD Andrew Shaw.

“We will review the capacity for expansion later this year, once we have a full year of operation under our belt.” MEP Middle East visited this AED125 million Contirod plant, the only one of its kind in the region.

The copper-rod plant is directly adjacent to the company’s cable factory, comprising a 3 000 square metre facility.

“We installed, as a first phase, a capacity for 110 000 tons of copper, but this is easily expandable to 150 000 tons by the addition of more burners,” explains Shaw. Ducab sources copper cathode, which is an internationally traded commodity, from Central Africa, Australia and India. “We source from a number of locations just from a security of supply point of view in case of any disruptions by weather, for example,” says Shaw.

The main reason for building the hi-tech SMS MEER plant was to make copper rod for the company’s own use. However, there is sufficient spare capacity to supply rod and drawn wire to other regional copper users as well. “The rod is running very well in our factories, and this is a great selling point, with buyers stating that, if Ducab are using it, then we would like to try it as well. The Ducab reputation for cable underscores our credibility in the marketplace for copper rod, and sends a strong message to our customers that these guys know how to make cable and wire. So that part of the business is growing,” says Shaw.

Overall strategy

“In terms of our overall strategy, external rod and wire sales really do benefit us, because copper-rod plants depend on volume, and the more we can load our plant and run it at full capacity, the more it reduces imports into the UAE and the region as a whole, plus it is an added value stream for Ducab itself. It supports the local economy, and it supports us,” says Shaw. “What our customers like is that the supply chain is much reduced. When they buy copper from us, effectively within the region, they can have it on their lines within a couple of days, whereas if they are buying from overseas, it is a matter of weeks. So it is helping their cash flow as well.”

Shaw adds that being located in Abu Dhabi is particularly advantageous, as the Mussaffah industrial area has its own dedicated gas supply. “Not only do we benefit in terms of logistics on the output side, but there are a lot of ancillary benefits to our location in Abu Dhabi itself.” As part of its overall corporate social responsibility, Ducab has turned the copper-rod plant into an educational resource by constructing a viewing gallery inside. “This is not only a great way to showcase the factory to our ordinary customers, but we also receive a lot of educational visitors in the form of school parties, who use the experience as part of the high school curriculum in terms of basic metals.”

The factory’s main product is 8 mm copper rod for the cable industry. “A lot of copper is also used in transformer and switchgear manufacture, so we are looking at how to adapt our product offering so that these potential customers also stand to benefit from the plant,” reveals Shaw. The factory mainly comprises a vertical shaft furnace, which is fed with copper cathode via an elevator loaded by a forklift truck. “The plant itself is fairly automated, but it needs men to feed it, so we have about 30 staff. For a big piece of equipment, it is relatively light on people,” says Shaw.

Shaft furnace

A ring of gas burners melts the copper cathode until it forms a molten bath within the shaft furnace. As it melts, the copper runs out of the bottom of furnace “like ice melting in a glass with a hole in the bottom.” Expanding the output of the plant simply means adding additional rings of burners so that the melting capacity is increased. “When you start off cold, you need to load the furnace manually, so as to prevent any damage to the ceramic firebrick lining. Once you have a melt going, you can simply drop the copper cathode in.” The temperature within the furnace is 1 250°C.

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The molten copper is then siphoned off by a launder into a cylindrical holding furnace, which has an actuating mechanism to maintain a steady flow into the casting launder. The casting conveyor employs a moving mold consisting of parallel carbon-steel belts held in tension as a separate top and bottom surface. Chains of rectangular special bronze blocks moving with the belts, and spaced according to the desired width of 8 mm, form the sides. The belts are cooled by high-efficient recirculating water.

The resultant bar is fed into a rolling mill. It enters the mill at a speed of 10 metres a minute, and exits at 10 metres a second (which equates to an astonishing 600 metres a minute). “It is very important that the regular changeover of the casting conveyor belts is as quick as possible, as we are dealing with molten copper. Our team has managed to reduce the changeover time significantly, like an F1 racing team doing the ultimate pit stop,” says Shaw.

Full capacity

While the furnace usually operates 24/7, Shaw explains that it is most efficient when it is run at full capacity for a specific campaign. “Rather than run at half load, we will run at full load and then switch off, which is much more efficient from an energy use point of view. This also allows us to do a bit of cold maintenance.”

The final process involves coiling the rod on an automatic coiler, whereafter it is palletised,  stretch-wrapped and strapped. Commenting on the impact of the copper price, Shaw says this has been fluctuating, which is problematic.

“It is stability that is important. Big fluctuations are difficult for the industry and customers to manage, as volatility tends to increase uncertainty and slows decision-making.

However, Shaw adds that the copper price always fluctuates, even in a normal trading environment. “As long as it is managed properly in terms of hedging, then customers will be certain of the price, and also remain confident in our capability to be able to meet their requirements,” concludes Shaw.

High-voltage expansion

DEWA and ADWEA have joined forces with Ducab in a new joint venture to manufacture high-voltage cable systems.

Ducab-HV will operate from a 22 000 m2 facility in Jebel Ali scheduled for completion in late 2010. Ducab-HV will be able to supply the region with 30 000 tons a year of 66 kV to 400 kV high-voltage cable. “As the population in the region continues to grow, so too does the demand for electricity. We believe the only way to meet this growing demand is with a strategically-located facility using state-of-the-art equipment,” said Ducab chairman Ahmed Al Sheikh at the official launch of the joint venture.

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