Bechtel (Reston, Va.; www.bechtel.com) and Aluminium Bahrain B.S.C. (Alba), the Bahrain-based aluminum producer, announced the successful production of the First Hot Metal at Alba’s Potline 6 Expansion Project.
Potline 6, which is being executed by Bechtel as the engineering, procurement and construction management (EPCM) contractor, will make Alba the world’s largest aluminum smelter once at full production. Adding 540,000 metric tons per year (m.t./yr) to Alba’s capacity of 1,000,000 m.t./yr, this new 1.4-kilometer potline involves the construction of 424 pots in line 6, utilizing Emirates Global Aluminium’s (EGA) proprietary DX+ Ultra Technology.
“We are very proud of this achievement. The Alba Potline 6 Project’s 24-month schedule from Notice to Proceed (NTP) to First Hot Metal, or first aluminum, is six months faster than the industry standard. This is a world-class achievement for the Kingdom of Bahrain, Alba and Bechtel. This success was only made possible thanks to the very strong collaborative relationship Alba and Bechtel have formed,” said Paige Wilson, President of Bechtel’s Mining & Metals Global Business Unit.
Bechtel was appointed by Alba as the EPCM contractor with the responsibility to design and construct Potline 6 and support industrial services in April 2016 and received NTP in January 2017.
Potline 6 builds on a relationship between Alba and Bechtel. Bechtel also previously served as EPCM contractor for the Line 4 and 5 expansions.