Qatalum, a joint venture aluminium smelter between Qatar Petroleum and Norsk Hydro, has reportedly bagged dual certifications from the Aluminium Stewardship Initiative. For primary aluminium smelting and manufacturing foundry alloys & extrusion ingots at Mesaieed Industrial City, Qatar, the smelter has received both the Performance Standard and Chain of Custody Standard certifications.
Qatalum has an annual production capacity of 660,000 tonnes of primary aluminium, foundry alloy and extrusion ingots, destined for a variety of industries like automotive, construction, engineering, and consumer goods manufacturing.
The ASI Performance Standard certification acknowledges 59 environmental, social and governance principles and criteria, aiming at addressing sustainability issues in the aluminium value chain. The Chain of Custody Standard certification, on the other hand, sets out requirements for the creation of a Chain of Custody for material produced and processed through the value chain into diverse downstream sectors.
On receiving the certifications, Khalid Mohamed Laram, Qatalum CEO, said: “Qatalum is proud to have achieved ASI Certification. It is an important milestone that reflects the Company’s long-standing commitment to responsible and sustainable practices across its value chain. ESG performance is essential to doing business today and we are pleased to be able to offer ASI-certified aluminium products, which provide our customers and stakeholders the assurance of a globally recognized standard.
Fiona Solomon, Chief Executive Officer at ASI, said: “ASI congratulates Qatalum for achieving Performance Standard and Chain of Custody Standard Certifications. As the first dual ASI Certified company in Qatar, Qatalum is demonstrating its commitment to sustainability issues in a region where primary aluminium production has tripled in the last 10 years. ASI’s program provides a platform and pathway for continuous improvement and we look forward to Qatalum’s ongoing sustainability journey.”
The independent, third-party audit of the Qatalum facility was carried out by DNV Business Assurance Services UK Ltd.
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