Aluminium Bahrain (Alba), the first aluminium smelter in the Gulf region, has been making steady strides in the construction of its landmark Line 6 Expansion Project in order to meet the first hot metal (FHM) schedule on January 1, 2019, according to a statement issued by Alba Chairman Shaikh Daij Bin Salman Bin Daij Al Khalifa.

Following the fourth quarterly meeting of the board of directors for the year 2017, held last month at Alba, Shaikh Daij said: “As we approach 2017 year-end, we remain confident to have a strong finish in light of the market conditions coupled with the safe recovery of Line 5. We also remain on track with the progress of Line 6 Expansion Project, which upon completion, will transform Alba to be the largest single-site smelter in the world.”

The board reviewed and approved the 2018 annual operating plan, corporate governance report as well as the third quarter 2017 financial statements. In addition, the executive management gave an update on safety, Line 5 recovery and metal production, the progress of Line 6 Expansion Project, Project Titan – Phase II, industry outlook and the overall financial performance of the company.

Alba’s Line 6 Expansion Project is one of the largest brownfield developments in the region which will boost its yearly production by 540,000 metric tonnes, bringing its total production capacity to 1.5 million metric tonnes per year.

With a capex of approximately $3 billion, the Line 6 Project involves the construction of a sixth pot line utilising EGA’s proprietary DX+ Ultra Technology; a 1,792-MW power station and other industrial services.

Alba also achieved the significant safety milestone of 5 million work-hours without lost time injury (LTI) in its Line 6 Smelter project.

Commenting on this accomplishment, achieved on December 24, Alba’s chief executive officer Tim Murray said: “We are proud of our safety culture. The 5 million work-hours without LTI is a further testament of our company’s commitment to a zero-injuries work environment.”

Earlier, Alba signed a MoU with Bechtel, a leading construction and civil engineering firm, to explore further opportunities of growth with Line 6 project.

Bechtel is currently the engineering, procurement, and construction management (EPCM) contractor for  the project.

Alba also signed an agreement with General Electric (GE) wherein GE will initiate a technical and commercial feasibility study to implement a fourth combined cycle gas turbine (GT) block using GE 9HA technology in Alba’s Power Station (PS) 5 within its premises. Alba said the addition of the fourth block of GE 9HA GT at PS 5 will further increase the power efficiency and output of PS 5.

GE and Gama Consortium will be the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractor for its PS 5, while Siemens is the Power Distribution System contractor.

Murray said: “We are proud that Alba is transforming power generation in the aluminium smelting industry by becoming the first smelter in the world to install the GE 9HA technology at PS 5. This cutting-edge technology will further align us with the goals of the kingdom’s Economic Vision 2030.”

Established in 1971 as a 120,000 tonnes per annum smelter, Alba today produces more than 971,000 metric tonnes per annum of the highest grade aluminium, with products including standard and T-ingots, extrusion billets, rolling slab, properzi ingots, and molten aluminium.