Etienne van den Peereboom outlined BelRemaitha Steel’s 7 year strategic plan at Metal Expo 2025

Van den Peereboom stated, “Between 2012 and 2024, our plant was unable to operate due to equipment incompatibilities and prolonged stagnation. We had five unused furnaces, one continuous casting machine, a partially corroded rebar line, three idle pipe lines, and a sheet cutting line. In addition, partial ownership, lack of control, and deficiencies in the power infrastructure created serious challenges.”

Referring to the reset process launched in 2025, Van den Peereboom highlighted, “We secured full ownership, consolidated the land, established the board of directors, completed audits, and resolved issues with legacy contracts. We redesigned the plant and prepared it to start industrial-scale production.”

Highlighting that the first-phase operations will be launched during 2026–2027, Van den Peereboom emphasized, “We will commence production with a dual-line continuous casting machine (≥40 t/h), an optimized rebar mill, sheet-fed steel pipe production, and full grid connectivity. Our product mix is planned as 32% billet, 32% rebar, and 36% steel pipe.”

Sharing technical details of billet, rebar, and pipe production, Van den Peereboom added, “Our billets are produced in line with SAE/ASTM standards, with macro-etch and OES testing applied for each batch. Our rebars will meet B500/ASTM Gr60 standards, with diameters of 10–40 mm and lengths of 6–12 meters. Steel pipe production capacity will reach 150,000 tons annually, with a strong focus on weld integrity and galvanization quality.”

Outlining capacity expansion plans for 2025–2032, Van den Peereboom stated, “With the commissioning of the H&C beam line in 2028, cumulative production will reach 900,000 tons, and with the second plant investment, our total capacity will rise to 2.7 million tons. We attach great importance to energy efficiency, targeting 550–650 kWh/t for melting and 120–160 kWh/t for rolling. Our multi-source scrap and HBI supply chain ensures a 30–45 day stock buffer, while Ajman and Jebel Ali ports optimize export lead times.”

Introducing the leadership team, Van den Peereboom said, “Our leadership team consists of Dr. Adel BelRemaitha (Founder & Chairman), Mohamed Abu El-Makarem (General Manager), Oliver von Wolff (CIO), and myself. As management, we focus on operational excellence, ESG compliance, and sustainability. Our plant supports localization, reliability, and industrial-scale growth in line with the UAE’s ‘Make It in the Emirates’ initiative and national industrial goals.”

Van den Peereboom concluded his speech by stating, “At BelRemaitha Steel, through a comprehensive reset and operational restructuring process, we are determined to successfully execute our 7-year strategic plan with strong leadership and investments.”