MANAMA, 18 December 2004 — Aluminum Bahrain (Alba) is expected to set a new production record this year, the board of directors said.
“Alba has managed to further increase the annual metal production capacity and is set to produce a record 532,078 metric tons of high grade primary aluminum this year,” Alba chairman and Bahrain’s minister of oil, Said Shaikh Isa ibn Ali Al Khalifa, said following the board meeting.
“The state-of-the-art calcining plant will also set a 50,000 metric ton increase in its annual production.” “The company has also chalked up achievements in improving safety systems, boosting employees’ satisfaction and reducing operating costs.”
The board also approved plans to spend more than BD21.00 million on 14 projects to meet the operational requirements of the plant. The projects include upgrade of some facilities, purchase of necessary spares and replacement of some machinery.
Shaikh Isa chaired the meeting that was attended by board members representing Alba’s three shareholders - the Bahraini government (77 percent), SABIC Industrial Investments (20 percent) and Breton Investments (three percent) - as well as the executive management team.
Shaikh Isa also said the safety awareness programs had also been successful.
“As a result, the plant has clocked more than 3.6 million man hours of work with out a single lost time injury and it set to reach a record four million hours without a single lost time injury in the next few days.”
“The production achievements were in line with the three-pronged strategic plan to sweat the assets, improve the systems and invest capital.”
The board also approved plans to spend BD1.2 million to improve facilities at the Alba Sports Club.