Emirates Float Glass, a subsidiary of Dubai Investments, has announced commencement of commercial operations at its state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Abu Dhabi.

The $200 million plant, located at the Industrial City 2 of Abu Dhabi, has started the manufacturing and supply of premium float glass products to the architectural and automotive markets in the UAE and GCC.

The plant has been built with technological assistance from US-based PPG Industries, global leaders in glass manufacturing technology, said a compaany official.

Commenting on the commencement of production, Khalid Kalban, chairman of Emirates Float Glass and managing director and CEO of Dubai Investments, said, "This marks a significant milestone in our efforts to boost indigenous production of float glass in the UAE and position the country as a major manufacturing hub for glass products."

'I’m confident Emirates Float Glass’s products and services will set a new benchmark in the region,' he noted.

“Emirates Float Glass was established as part of our endeavour to create a cluster of world-class glass manufacturing companies in the UAE. We envision Emirates Float Glass to become, in time, the largest float glass manufacturer in the region,” Kalban added.

EFG’s advanced plant, which boasts of a capacity of 600 tonnes per day, incorporates the latest technology in float glass manufacturing. The company’s technology licence agreement with PPG Industries ensures the best product technology services and process assessment.

ND Mohanty, general manager of Emirates Float Glass, pointed out that the EFG plant was fully automated, 'requiring minimal human intervention from the time the raw material is fed till the offloading stage where the finished product is ready to be packed.'

'Moreover, production continues non-stop, with the machines operating round the clock making it the first integrated glass processing facility in the UAE,' he explained.

“Emirates Float Glass has already started supplying float glass to Glass subsidiaries such as Emirates Glass and Saudi American Glass, and has also secured major export orders,” Mohanty added.-TradeArabia News Service