EGA Acquires 80% Stake in Eco Green, Boosting European Recycling Presence

Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA) has completed the acquisition of an 80% stake in Italian aluminium recycling company Eco Green, strengthening its presence in Europe’s recycled aluminium market and expanding its global recycling network.

EGA announced the acquisition in April, and the transaction has now received all required regulatory approvals and satisfied the closing conditions. The Italian company will be rebranded as EGA Eco Green, while the Scappini family will retain a minority stake and continue to be involved in management.

The acquisition takes EGA’s aluminium recycling capacity to more than 400,000 tonnes per year across the UAE, the US, Germany and Italy. A further 200,000 tonnes/year of recycling capacity is under development.

Eco Green operates two facilities in northeast Italy and specialises in aluminium scrap collection, sorting and distribution, secondary aluminium casting and dross processing. The company distributes more than 70,000 tonnes of aluminium annually and has a network of more than 350 scrap suppliers and over 60 customers across Europe.

At its Villafranca di Verona facility, Eco Green collects, sorts and distributes around 23,000 tonnes of aluminium scrap annually. Some of the material is supplied to its nearby Nogara di Verona plant, which produces more than 20,000 tonnes/year of secondary aluminium sows. The facility has a nameplate capacity of 30,000 tonnes/year and also processes aluminium dross.

Eco Green is currently expanding the Nogara facility, adding 20,000 tonnes/year of recycled aluminium capacity. The expansion is expected to be completed in December 2026.

The acquisition is part of EGA’s strategy to build a global aluminium recycling business to meet growing demand for lower-carbon aluminium. EGA said industry analysts expect recycled aluminium to account for around half of global aluminium demand by 2040, while Europe, excluding Russia, is currently the world's third-largest recycled aluminium market after the US and China.

EGA already supplies around 600,000 tonnes/year of primary aluminium to European industries, making Europe a key market for the UAE-based producer.

The company has also been expanding its recycling footprint elsewhere. In Germany, EGA acquired EGA Leichtmetall in 2024 and is undertaking an expansion that will add 110,000 tonnes/year of scrap-sorting capacity and 150,000 tonnes/year of melting and casting capacity. In the US, EGA owns 80% of EGA Spectro Alloys, whose recycled aluminium ingot and billet production capacity has reached 165,000 tonnes/year.

In the UAE, EGA is ramping up its new Al Taweelah aluminium recycling plant, which has capacity of 185,000 tonnes/year and is described by the company as the country's largest aluminium recycling facility.

EGA CEO Abdulnasser Bin Kalban said the acquisition strengthens the company's capabilities in Europe's aluminium scrap market and supports the expansion of its recycling operations in the region.