Despite the significant drop in LME prices and physical premiums, Aluminium Bahrain (Alba) was able to increase its overall sales and throughput for the third quarter of 2015, the company reports.

Sales figures reached 238,862 tonnes, an increase of 5,940 tonnes, versus 232,922 tonnes in Q3 2014 while production figures jumped by 2.9 per cent year-on-year to top 240,351 tonnes for the same period in 2014.

For the nine months of 2015, Alba’s sales figures stretched to 699,362 tonnes, up from 689,203 tonnes in the same period of 2014, while production figures increased by 19,521 tonnes to reach 717,029 tonnes year-to-date.

In addition, Alba closed the third quarter of 2015 with its value-added sales averaging 64 per cent of total shipments versus 67 per cent for the same period in 2014. Value-added sales for the nine months of 2015 averaged 65 per cent of total shipments versus 66 per cent for the same period in 2014.

Chief executive officer Tim Murray commented: “Despite the collapse of all-in-aluminium prices, Alba continues to perform and deliver results in its key areas of safety and production. We will continue to push the limit on our cost initiatives and accelerate our efforts to remain cost competitive.”

APPOINTMENTS

Meanwhile, Alba has named Khalid Abdul Latif as its chief marketing officer. It has also appointed Patrick Hudson as the new sales manager for the Americas.

Latif will lead the company’s global marketing strategies to drive innovation across Alba’s business divisions.

“Khalid’s appointment reflects Alba’s commitment to develop Bahraini nationals from within the company into key leadership positions. He has a right mix of marketing and operational experience to stimulate our existing business and develop new markets,” said chief executive Tim Murray.

“I am confident that Khalid will steer Alba’s global marketing strategy to meet its growth targets despite the volatile market and LME conditions. I congratulate him on his well-deserved appointment and wish him the very best in his new role.”

Latif joined Alba as an apprentice in 1989 and worked in various operational areas including Power, Potlines and Carbon. He swiftly grew up the ranks and was made supervisor followed by superintendent. In 2012, he was promoted to manager of engineering and then made Alba’s marketing manager for customer service and market operations. In February 2015, Latif was appointed as the acting chief marketing officer.

Hudson, the new sales manager for the Americas, will be responsible to oversee the growth and development of Alba’s product portfolio within the US markets. He will be based in Atlanta, Georgia, and report directly to Alba’s chief marketing officer Latif.

Murray, Latif and Hudson

“Alba Americas represents our commitment to expand our presence in the US market. I congratulate Patrick on his new appointment, and I am confident that he will demonstrate the same level of dedication and excellence he has shown in his previous responsibilities,” said Murray.

Hudson, an American citizen, joined Alba in May 2014 as the head of marketing for pricing, billing, and documentation and was later promoted to manager of finance in June 2015. He holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Georgia and an MBA from the College of William and Mary’s Mason School of Business.

LINE 6 PROJECT

Alba, one of the world’s largest and among the modern aluminium smelters in the world, is renowned for its premium-grade products, technological strength and innovative policies, strict environmental guidelines and high track record for safety. Established in 1971 as a 120,000 tonnes per annum smelter, Alba today produces more than 931,000 tonnes annually of the highest grade aluminium, with products including standard and T-ingots, extrusion billets, rolling slab, properzi ingots, and molten aluminium.

Its Line 6 expansion project, expected to begin production by early 2019, will boost annual production by 514,000 tonnes, bringing total production capacity to around 1.450 million tonnes.

Bechtel Canada completed the Bankable Feasibility study for the $3.5 billion expansion in December 2014. DX+ Technology has been selected as the base for Line 6, while JP Morgan, Gulf International Bank (GIB) and National Bank of Bahrain (NBB) are the financial advisors for the Project.

Line 6 will enhance the downstream industry by creating many co-investment opportunities through local and foreign aluminium investments. It will create hundreds of jobs, directly and indirectly, which will be a significant economic boost for Bahrain.

Alba is listed on both the Bahrain Bourse and the London Stock Exchange, and its shareholders are Bahrain Mumtalakat Holding Company (69.38 per cent), Sabic Industrial Investment Company (20.62 per cent) and the General Public (10 per cent).