Alba’s 3000-strong workforce is celebrating the company’s success after the Line 5 Reduction Team reached the halfway point in Alba’s ‘100 Day Safe Startup’ challenge five days early. Alba has now energized the entire North portion of its 5th Potline in less than 45 days, which means the company is well positioned to beat its target of completing the start up of Line 5 in 100 days and in doing so, will set a world aluminium industry standard for the fastest startup of an Aluminium Reduction Line.
The 100 Day Safe Startup challenge began a week early at the end of February, giving Alba a head start in the energization of Line 5. With 168 out of 336 pots now energized, achieving 50% of the startup within schedule and according to the highest quality and safety standards is an impressive industry feat that stands testament to the successful alignment and efforts deployed by the Line 5 Reduction team and Alba’s supporting units. The successful completion of the startup within the 100-day timeframe will signal the culmination of what has been a huge venture for Alba, bringing the large-scale $1.7 billion Line 5 expansion into operation and establishing an international reputation for the company as a world leader in the aluminium industry and placing the Kingdom of Bahrain in the limelight of the international arena.
Alba’s CEO, Bruce Hall said: “We have succeeded in starting up the Reduction Line ahead of schedule and with the highest safety standards. This makes us increasingly confident of meeting the ‘100 Day Safe Startup challenge and achieving this will place Alba, with the Kingdom of Bahrain, in the centre stage of the global industrial field.”
“The Line 5 Reduction Team and all supporting elements have exerted tremendous efforts to ensure that the 100-day deadlines are met. I would like to thank everyone involved in securing today’s milestone for the dedication and continuous focus given to reaching this goal,” Hall added.
“It gives me a great sense of pride to receive calls and inquiries from all over the world as Alba’s progress in starting up Reduction Line 5 is watched and applauded. The interest we are earning from our partners and associates demonstrates the recognition this venture has won for Alba and its employees,” Hall said.
Alba aims to energize an average of four pots a day to ensure that all 336 pots on the 1.2 km Reduction Line – the longest in the world – will become fully operational within the 100-day timeframe. The Line 5 Reduction Team is now working towards the 75% commissioning milestone timed for completion by the end of April.
Alba’s Line 5 Expansion Project marks a historic milestone in Bahrain’s aluminium industry and firmly establishes Alba as both a regional and global leader in its field. The creation of the 5th potline will expand the company’s annual aluminium production by over 300,000 tonnes per annum, making Alba the largest aluminium smelter in the world outside of Eastern Europe, with a total output of 830,000 tonnes per annum.
As one of the largest construction projects in the Gulf, Line 5 has brought major added benefits to the Kingdom and its economy with the creation of over 8,000 jobs during construction and over 500 permanent jobs during operation. The project has also created many lucrative opportunities for Bahrain-based companies. In addition, local contractors have benefited from attractive budget allocations and exposure to the international work practices and standards implemented by Alba and Bechtel in the implementation of their intensive safety measures and training schemes. Alba’s contribution to the local economy is set to increase to approximately 12% as a result of the expansion project.
