Aluminium Bahrain B.S.C. (Alba) said the newly-commissioned aluminium smelting capacity at its Reduction Line 6 is a “game changer” for the now-largest aluminium producer outside of the People’s Republic of China last week.
During a visit by the chairman of the board Shaikh Daij bin Salman bin Daij Al Khalifa last Thursday, the chair commented that the 540 thousand metric tons per annum of added aluminium smelting capacity has put it in an entirely different financial category since it opened two years ago.
“A game changer, Line 6 has made Alba the world’s largest aluminium smelter ex-China. The organic growth which the Company has embarked on with Line 6 in operations has seen Alba top new records in its financial performance and scale the ranks to join the US$720 million club for the first time in its Net Profits for the nine-months period of 2021.”
“I also take this opportunity to thank Line 6 team for an unparalleled performance and for maintaining Operational and Safety standards at all times,” al Khalifa concluded.
The aluminium capacity addition two years ago increased the firm’s nameplate capacity to over 1.548 million metric tons per annum. Currently Line 6 is running at a production rate of 477.5 thousand metric tons per annum.
Alba is one of the largest industrial companies in the Middle East and is the world’s biggest aluminium smelter outside the People’s Republic of China. Originally incorporated in 1968, the company is based in Bahrain and 84% of its total workforce are Bahraini nationals. It began operations in 1971 with a 120,000 metric ton annual capacity. Modernization bumped the output up to 450,000 metric tons in 1992. In the spring of 2005, Alba opened Line 5, raising output by 860,000 metric tons per year. In 2020 Alba’s smelter produced 1,548,500 metric tons of primary aluminium.