Bechtel wins US$3.5bn contract from Alba

BAHRAIN–BASED international aluminium smelter Aluminium Bahrain (Alba) has awarded the Bechtel Corporation as the engineering, procurement, and construction management (EPCM) contractor for its US$3.5bn Line 6 expansion project.

The project will see Alba become the world’s largest single-site aluminium smelter upon completion, and will expand production by 540,000 t/y, bringing the site’s total capacity to 1.5m t/y. Alba says the Line 6 expansion will have 424 aluminium smelting pots that will use its proprietary EGA DX+ Ultra technology to increase operating efficiencies.

Under the terms of the contract, Bechtel will be responsible for the design and construction of the sixth potline as well as support industrial services, Alba said in a statement. The two companies have a long-standing working relationship as Bechtel was responsible for the EPCM on Alba’s Line 4 and 5 expansions, with Line 5 being completed in 2005.

Shaikh Daij bin Salman Bin Daij Al Khalifa, chairman of Alba, said: “The appointment of Bechtel is a step forward towards delivering the Line 6 expansion project, which is a significant milestone for the Kingdom of Bahrain. Alba and Bechtel have a history that spans over 25 years, and we are confident that Bechtel will deliver excellence at all times.”

Shaun Kenny, president for mining and metals at Bechtel, said: “When Alba added Line 5, it was at that time the world’s longest potline. We are proud to be working with Alba again to add Line 6 to make Alba the largest single-site smelter in the world and mark another world class achievement for Bahrain, Alba and Bechtel.”

The Chemical Engineer contacted Alba to confirm when the Line 6 project is likely to be complete, but has not yet received a response.