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Projects
In 2016, Alba appointed Bechtel as the engineering, procurement and construction management contractor (EPCM) to build its sixth potline in the Kingdom of Bahrain, thus continuing the two companies’ long-standing partnership.
At the time, Bechtel had already worked with Alba for more than a quarter century, including previous assignments for the smelter’s Line 4 and Line 5 expansions, which began operations in 1992 and 2005, respectively.
Image: Alba’s Line 6 Expansion Project
However, Potline 6 would be the biggest challenge yet, as it aimed to transform Alba into the world’s largest smelter, increasing current annual output by 540,000 metric tons. This would be achieved by adding one potline with 424 pots utilizing DUBAL DX+ Ultra technology, and related infrastructure, carbon and casthouse facilities.
The team’s work at Alba Line 6 included:
Bechtel was able to use the previous experience gained with Alba, as well as at major smelters like Oman’s Sohar and Fjarðaál in Iceland, which was crucial to executing the massive, complex job with the speed it required.
Bechtel was able to use the previous experience gained with Alba, as well as at major smelters like Oman’s Sohar and Fjarðaál in Iceland, which was crucial to executing the massive, complex job with the speed it required.
As a result of this strong partnership, Alba announced the commissioning of Potline 6 on December 13, 2018, achieving the First Hot Metal (FHM) milestone ahead of its scheduled date of January 1, 2019 – making it the fastest construction ever delivered in the aluminum industry. In addition, FHM was achieved at a record low cost of less than $4,000 per metric ton of installed capacity. The Project’s 24-month schedule to first aluminum was more than six months faster than the industry standard and was possible thanks to the outstanding collaborative relationship between Alba and Bechtel that has prevailed for decades.
Image: Alba’s Line 6 Expansion Project
Bechtel was able to use the previous experience gained with Alba, as well as at major smelters like Oman’s Sohar and Fjarðaál in Iceland, which was crucial to executing the massive, complex job with the speed it required.
As a result of this strong partnership, Alba announced the commissioning of Potline 6 on December 13, 2018, achieving the First Hot Metal (FHM) milestone ahead of its scheduled date of January 1, 2019 – making it the fastest construction ever delivered in the aluminum industry. In addition, FHM was achieved at a record low cost of less than $4,000 per metric ton of installed capacity. The Project’s 24-month schedule to first aluminum was more than six months faster than the industry standard and was possible thanks to the outstanding collaborative relationship between Alba and Bechtel that has prevailed for decades.
With the successful completion of Potline 6, Alba will continue to support the Kingdom of Bahrain’s diversification in line with Bahrain’s Economic Vision 2030. The Project increased Alba’s contribution to the country’s overall GDP by three percent, thus bringing the aluminum industry’s contribution to approximately 12 percent.
Image: Alba’s Line 6 Expansion Project
While Potline 6 was an economic achievement, a successful project must be completed safely. Thanks to an emphasis on safety by Alba, Bechtel and the contractor companies, the Project team achieved a remarkable 13.8 million job hours without a single lost-time injury in 2019, one of the safest smelter projects in recent history.
Potline 6 benefited from innovative construction methodologies, including the utilization of surface miners to excavate one million cubic meters of hard rock, pre-cast concrete, modularized steel assemblies and two of the world’s largest tower cranes to mitigate a very congested worksite, which already included five potlines supplied with electricity from four onsite power stations.
Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa officially inaugurated Potline 6, which was achieved approximately 16 percent under budget, on November 24, 2019. At the ceremony, he highlighted that Potline 6 will also boost employment opportunities for Bahrainis both at Alba and in the local downstream market.
Image: Alba’s Line 6 Expansion Project
Furthermore, Potline 6 was named Industrial Project of the Year and Mega Project of the Year at the 2020 edition of the MEED Projects Awards. These coveted awards recognize the best projects in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) across various sectors and promote best practices in project delivery and operations, as well as innovation and sustainability.
These honors demonstrated how Potline 6 set benchmarks in sustainable aluminum production – implementation of the DUBAL DX+ Ultra Technology boosted output with no increase in energy consumption, while the use of General Electric’s (GE) 9HA Gas Turbine technology at the smelter’s Power Station 5 has made it the most efficient combined-cycle plant in the Gulf region.
United Arab Emirates
2020
The Al Taweelah Alumina Refinery, built by Bechtel and partners, is the UAE’s first alumina refinery, achieving world-class production, safety, and economic growth milestones.
Saudi Arabia
2013
Bechtel partnered with Ma’aden and Alcoa to provide engineering, procurement and construction management for Ras Al Khair, Saudi Arabia’s first greenfield smelter.
Oman
2008
Sohar partnered with Bechtel to execute a major greenfield smelter project in Oman and ensure efficiency, environmental protection and the safety of its workforce.
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