Aluminium Bahrain, (Alba), has announced the launch of the ‘100 Day Safe Startup’ Challenge, one of the most ambitious challenges witnessed to-date by the global aluminium industry. The announcement was made by Bruce Hall, CEO of Alba during a press conference held at the Alba Line 5 Project site.
Starting Monday, with the commissioning of the first pot, Alba is set to embark on the safe startup of its new Reduction Line in just 100 days. Once achieved, the ‘100 Day Safe Startup’ will break the current world record by over 80 days and set a new world record for the fastest startup of an Aluminium Reduction Line.
This significant venture is set to bring Alba’s US$ 1.7 Billion Line 5 Expansion Project to its ultimate climax by establishing a reputation for the company as a world leader in the aluminium industry while further positioning the Kingdom of Bahrain in the limelight of the international arena.
“With the startup of the 5th potline in just 100 days, Alba can pride itself in having set a benchmark in global industrial excellence. This will be a grand finale for the Line 5 Expansion and an admirable accomplishment for the company and its employees who have been working long and hard to achieve this goal and are determined to realize it” commented Bruce Hall, CEO of Alba.
The Line 5 Operations Team in coordination with all of Alba’s supporting units, will be required to energize an average of 4 pots a day to ensure that all 336 pots equally spread over the 1-km long Reduction Line – currently the longest in the world - are fully operational within the 100-day timeframe
“Alba’s decision to embark on the 100 day challenge was taken two years ago, following the start of the Line 5 Project construction. During the last two years the entire Alba workforce has been working in unison to determine that everyone works towards the same goal and shares in the same vision of achieving the 100-day milestone with the highest safety and quality standards as is customary of a project of such magnitude” stated Hall.
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 a further 307,000 tonnes per annum, making Alba the largest aluminium smelter in the world outside of Eastern Europe with a total output of 827,000 tonnes per annum.
This landmark development has brought major added benefits to the Kingdom and its economy with the creation of over 4,000 jobs during construction and over 500 permanent jobs during operation. This large-scale expansion has also created many lucrative opportunities for Bahrain-based companies and the local contractors who benefited from attractive budget allocations and exposure to work practices of international standards through Alba’s and Bechtel’s intensive safety measures and training schemes implemented throughout the Line 5 construction period.
