Saudi steel sector to benefit from new recycling facility

middle east  / Ferro-alloys

While waste treatment continues to be a hot topic all around the globe, Saudi Arabia has come up with a creative solution to tackle the issue. The country hits two birds with one stone by getting an advance recycling facility and providing the local steel sector with alloys.

Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority, Shell Overseas Services Limited and Advanced Metallurgical Group signed a memorandum of understanding to evaluate the potential for construction and operation of a spent catalyst recycling facility in Jubail Industrial City, according to the official statement. The new unit will reclaim valuable metals by recycling spent residue upgrading catalysts, generated by refineries in Saudi Arabia and the surrounding region. In such a way, the country will be able to take maximum benefits from its natural resources.

The local steel industry will be able to take advantage of the situation as well. “The recycling process also allows for the extraction of alloys from spent catalysts for use by the steel market,” Hassan Al Marashi, Shell’s head of media relations in the Middle East and North Africa, explained to Metal Expert. Ferrovanadium is one of the key elements, which will be available as a result of recycling. This additive is used for the production of rust-resistant, spring and high-speed tool steels. Furthermore, structural steel products with high vanadium content allow to reduce the quantity of steel required to perform the same function, resulting in a 20-40% reduction in mass.

The concept of value addition is one of the core elements of the national transformation program Vision 2030 which includes the steel sector. own sources of alloys at competitive cost will become additional advantage for its progress. “Saudi Arabia needs special grades steel for new industries, such as the military sector. We should convert liquid steel from excessive rebar production to special products.