Managing Director Jamal Al-Ghurair, speaking on Saturday on the sidelines of the Feb. 4-7 Kingsman Dubai sugar conference, told Reuters that this approach was the most energy-efficient. 

"In former times we used to slow down because we had very small white sugar silos," he said in an interview. 

"And now, since the (latest) white sugar silos have been in operation for the last year-and-a-half, to become more energy-efficient, we stop and start. 

"Whenever the silos get filled, we stop. And when the silo becomes almost empty, then we start again." 

Al-Ghurair added, "We operate at full capacity to optimize our energy." 

The Dubai sugar refinery, one of the biggest in the world, has a production capacity of around 6,000 tons a day. 

Al-Ghurair said the refinery was facing fierce competition from containerized European sugar, after a big European harvest. 

"They (European sugars) reach many markets at a low freight rate. This is creating a tough time for us." 

However, he said refining margins were comfortable. 

Al-Khaleej Sugar exports to some 40 countries. 

Al-Ghurair said offers of Indian sugars were now undercutting Brazilian sugars by around $20 per ton, cost and freight, for the Dubai refinery, making it likely that it would source more sugar from India, the world's No. 2 producer after Brazil. 

The Dubai refinery recently bought around 100,000 tons of Indian raw sugar. 

India, the world's biggest sugar consumer, has an exportable surplus this year, with delegates estimating 2011/12 Indian sugar production at 25-26 million tons. 

More than 500 industry leaders from around the world are attending the Dubai Kingsman sugar conference, which will focus on the outlook for the global sugar market in 2012.