In the Spotlight: Emirates Steel – Our Trusted Sheet Pile Supply Partner
As the long-standing and exclusive strategic partner for Emirates Steel in the UK and Ireland, Sheet Piling UK Limited has derived supply chain stability over the past year, when many other steel sheet pile suppliers have struggled. Having such a strong, secure and innovative steel sheet pile supplier is vital to not just our business but to the infrastructure plans of the UK, with which Sheet Piling UK is so involved, be that through its HS2 work or smart motorways, climate change mitigation, urban regeneration or marine and inland water infrastructure renewal projects.
On this basis, we took the opportunity to talk to Emirates Steel about how they have managed to stay at the forefront of steel product supply and what they have learned during the Covid-19 pandemic.
How has Emirates Steel coped with the pandemic?
Emirates Steel is based in the UAE and COVID-19 has highlighted the durability and reliability of the UAE’s healthcare system. At Emirates Steel, we prioritise the health, safety and welfare of employees and so, from the very beginning of the outbreak, complied with all regulations and guidelines issued by the UAE’s health authorities. We started analysing the data (we monitor on daily basis) to find out the most effective ways to stop the spread of the virus amongst our workforce.
We ensured that all our employees and contractors strictly adhered to the COVID-19 health guidelines, including maintaining social distancing and undertaking regular sanitisation activities. We also we provided the necessary personal protection supplies to all of our workers. The successful approach adopted by Emirates Steel management in dealing with this pandemic succeeded in bringing the number of cases at Emirates Steel down to zero during the last few months.
How did your business continuity practices prove their worth?
This current pandemic has been a challenge for people and businesses all over the world. At Emirates Steel, our pre-pandemic investment in a robust system, which encompasses various processes and procedures, helped us overcome this challenge in a seamless and flawless manner. Our virtual and remote working systems were ready for deployment, and our decision-making process was quick and effective.
On the Operational spectrum, the team was supported by the necessary preventative measures that consisted of safety procedures upon entering the facilities, continuous testing of ground staff, round-the-clock disinfection of offices and plants, shift rotation changes and many more that assisted our organisation to gradually and effectively return back to full capacity by early 2021.
How proud are you to have been able to keep steel supplies flowing?
Our operations staff did a great job and demonstrated amazing commitment levels during the pandemic, to ensure our plants stayed operational and met Emirates Steel’s market requirements. We are so proud of all of them. The mitigation of inventory build-up also minimised risks associated with price fluctuations and increased our cashflow, which kept Emirates Steel in a very strong position during these challenging times.
What have you learned about Emirates Steel in the past 12 months, during the global crisis, which you perhaps did not fully appreciate before?
Safety was our first priority at Emirates Steel. However, with the new serious challenges brought by the pandemic, it became critical for us to maintain our operations while keeping our health and safety procedures updated and strictly implemented as per the world’s best practices. The human impacts of this pandemic made our family at Emirates Steel closer to each other and it became obvious to everyone that we were right to put our employees’ welfare ahead of any other considerations.
What do you feel makes Emirates Steel and its products stand apart?
Established in 1998, Emirates Steel boasts cutting-edge rolling mill technology and supplies the domestic and international markets with high quality finished products including wire rods, rebars, heavy sections and sheet piles. We deliver an extensive range of products, services and solutions that cater to a wide variety of sectors and industries. Our finished products are shipped to more than forty countries worldwide, and used in applications including maritime engineering, construction of skyscrapers and buildings, to infrastructure projects in the United States.
Offering a unique combination of strength and aesthetic appeal, our steel has been used in the construction of some of the world’s most renowned and iconic structures. Growing customer demand for our quality steel products is driven by the following:
- We are the largest producer of heavy and jumbo sections in the region, and our sections can be found in major construction and engineering projects.
- We remain the only producer of hot rolled sheet piles in the Middle East. Light, durable, and fast to install, sheet piles offer significant potential for customers around the globe and at a width of 700mm, our Z type sheet piles make us a key steel sheet pile supplier for global foundation and marine construction projects.
- Our commitment to quality is reflected in the International Certification standards and grades that our products are exposed to in the production process. Certifications are secured from Britain, Europe, America and Australia.
- We were the first steel maker in the Middle East, and the fourth company in the world, to receive the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) accreditation for our facilities and processes to produce nuclear grade reinforcing bar.
- ASME certification enabled us to supply steel used in the construction of the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant. The plant is the first nuclear energy plant in the Arabian Peninsula, and the first commercial nuclear energy plant in the Arab World.
- Providing the Oil and Gas industry with specialized and customized heavy and medium sections has enabled the company to become a key supplier to core steel markets across The Middle East, Russia, USA, Europe and South Korea.
Moreover, Emirates Steel is the first manufacturing company and steel manufacturer in Middle East, and among the first 50 companies in the world, to be verified for LEED documentation. Using Emirates Steel products help customers meet the requirements of Leadership Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) and (ESTIDAMA) green buildings rating systems.
What advantages do you feel your environmental practices will bring to your business?
Emirates Steel takes its commitment to sustainability very seriously. Our efforts in this regard are well aligned with the UAE’s long-standing national commitment to protecting its environment and natural resources. As a member of the Worldsteel Climate Action Programme, we are proud recipients of its Certificate of Recognition for our participation in the CO2 Emissions Data Collection Programme, an initiative that is made possible through our environmental partnership with Al Reyadda Carbon Capture Facility, located close to Emirates Steel’s premises. The main objectives of the project are to reduce the carbon footprint of the United Arab Emirates, implement enhanced oil recovery (EOR) in subsurface oil reservoirs, and free up natural gas that would otherwise have been used for oil field pressure maintenance.
We have also implemented a variety of initiatives to reinforce our sustainability credentials in the UAE. Our Integrated Management System is certified to the highest international standards under the CARES Sustainable Constructional Steel Scheme and BES 6001 for Responsible Sourcing of Construction Products. In keeping with these schemes, we comply with the issuance of Environmental Product Declaration Reports and certificates as needed.
What sort of projects would you most like to be involved with within the UK market?
We are keen to continue our reliable business relationships with our current and new customers within the United Kingdom in construction, energy or transportation sectors and recognise Sheet Piling (UK) Limited’s role in putting our products at the forefront of infrastructure development in the UK.
Emirates Steel’s products have a solid reputation for high-quality standards, with various grades and sizes that meet our customers’ needs in land or maritime construction projects. We are delighted to have our steel sheet piles used in foundation and construction projects in the UK, both in tertiary and marine contexts and will continue to innovate with our sheet piles production, to create new solutions. We recently introduced light and heavy U-type product, which has both enhanced our global standing further within the industry and operated in tandem with new service developments and customer offers in design, crimping, welding, painting and sealant applications.
What makes you proudest about Emirates Steel?
The first thing we think of when it comes to the strengths that make us proud is our cohesive, connected and compassionate family, of which everyone here is a member. Another thing that makes us proud is the innovation culture we established across the organisation. At Emirates Steel, innovation is a key driver of our success; not only in the steel solutions we provide but also in the way we operate our facilities.
In July 2020, Emirates Steel Scientific Committee was formed with the aim of instilling a culture of innovation and research across the organisation. Moreover, we registered three patents from the US Patents and Trademark Office, the last of which was registered in cooperation with Khalifa University for Science and Technologies.
What does 2021 hold for Emirates Steel?
We remain committed to deliver value to our stakeholders by following a clear strategy, whereby we target the construction, manufacturing and industrial sectors and satisfy their requirements, by producing high quality steel products. We shall continue to follow this strategy, whilst maintaining safe and environmentally friendly work practices across our operations and creating employment opportunities and inspire our workforce to excel.
How much do you feel your relationship with Sheet Piling UK is helping to grow your brand presence?
Emirates Steel values its partnership with Sheet Piling (UK) Ltd, recognising the esteem with which Sheet Piling UK is held and its ongoing delivery of innovative steel piling solutions in industrial, commercial, road and rail infrastructure, energy and ports and harbours sectors.
Sheet Piling (UK) Ltd has 25 years’ experience, and it has successfully managed to build a strong reputation in providing innovative value-engineering solutions for temporary and permanent sheet piling projects. We, at Emirates Steel, are proud of this fruitful collaboration and keen to expand our business opportunities, for our and Sheet Piling UK’s mutual benefit, so as to generate a positive impact on the UK steel market.
Through the strong presence and impact on the sheet piling business across the UK that we have, by virtue of our relationship, we recognise that Sheet Piling (UK) Limited is our optimal business partner and one which can boost our business growth and ensure a more effective brand presence within the UK steel market.
- Ends -NOTES TO EDITORS
Sheet Piling (UK) Limited is one of the UK's leading piling contractors. Owning and operating a comprehensive range of specialist piling equipment Sheet Piling (UK) Ltd also carry extensive stocks of new and used piles enabling rapid reaction to any urgent requirements or emergency situations.