Aluminium Bahrain B.S.C., or simply Alba, is one of the largest industrial companies in the Middle East and is one of the largest aluminium producers in the world. The company is based in Bahrain and 84% of its total workforce are Bahraini nationals. The company produces a range of aluminium products, which include billets, liquid metal, standard ingots, rolling slab, propertzi and others. About 50 per cent of Alba's aluminium is sold to Bahrain's downstream industry while the rest is exported to countries within the GCC, the Middle East, Europe, Americas, Far-East and South Asia. In 2017, the company set an all time production record in its history with 981,016 metric tonnes.
History
Alba was officially incorporated in 1968 and began operations in 1971 with an annual capacity of 120,000 metric tonnes per annum. After modernisation and expansion works the smelter's capacity rose to 450,000 tonnes in 1992. In March 2005 Alba commissioned a new reduction line, Line 5, which increased the company's capacity to over 860,000 tonnes of aluminium at that time.
The Alba plant comprises five reduction lines, two cast houses, a dedicated carbon plant, a 550,000 mtpa coke calcining plant, a water desalination plant, 11 fume treatment plants, a marine terminal, and a 2,249 MW ISO power plant, consisting of 4 power stations. The plant also features a 13 hectare oasis, with more than 15,000 trees and shrubs, a fruit and vegetable garden, and an artificial lake.
Product Range
Aluminium Products
Standard Ingots
Standard ingots are for downstream users who wish to re-melt this residual form of aluminium in their own furnaces, and then cast it to produce a variety of end products. Alba's production capacity of standard ingots stands at approximately 400,000 metric tonnes per annum.
Rolling Slabs
Sheet ingots, or rolling slabs, are used in rolling mills for manufacturing aluminium foil and sheet products. The total annual production capacity of rolling slabs currently stands at approximately 140,000 metric tonnes per annum.
Foundry Alloy Ingots
Foundry alloy ingots are mainly used by the automotive industry for manufacturing automotive wheels, truck hubs and gas pump nozzles.
Extrusion Billets
Extrusion ingots are widely used in the construction industry, transportation, engineering, and consumer durables. Alba produces around 380,000 metric tonnes per annum of extrusion ingots.
Liquid Metal
The Liquid is supplied in liquid form to downstream industries in Bahrain and is transferred in crucibles. It takes 5 hours for the liquid metal to solidify.
Other Products
Calcined Coke
Alba is one of only two smelters in the world to have a dedicated coke calciner, its production capacity is nearly 550,000 metric tonnes per annum.
Anodes
Alba has three carbon plants that produce about 550,000 metric tonnes of anodes every year. Carbon anodes are produced from calcined petroleum coke and coal tar pitch.
Power
With its four natural gas turbine power stations having a total power generating capacity of 2,249 MW ISO, equivalent to the average power consumed in Bahrain as a whole, Alba's energy needs are fulfilled independently. With waste heat recovery, some of the power stations have an efficiency of 54%.
Water
Alba's seawater desalination plant was commissioned in 2001. It utilises waste heat from the calcining process to generate steam for the production and supply of 41,000 cubic metres per day of potable water.
Environment Conservation
Alba has invested more than US$589 million environmental conservation and earned international praise and recognition for being committed to implementing highest environmental standards across the organisation.
Line 6 Expansion Project
Alba's Line 6 Expansion Project is one of the largest brownfield developments in the region. Expected to begin production by January 1, 2019, this Project will boost the smelter's per-annum production by 540,000 metric tonnes, bringing its total production capacity to 1.5 million metric tonnes per year. The Line 6 Expansion Project will make Alba the world's largest single-site aluminium smelter and be a significant economic boost for the Kingdom of Bahrain due to the many co-investment opportunities through local and foreign aluminium investments.
