The world’s largest aluminium smelter Aluminium Bahrain’s (Alba)’s Line 6 Expansion Project has bagged the GCC Industrial Project of the Year in the 2020 edition of the MEED Projects Awards.

One of the largest brownfield projects in the region, Alba’s Line 6 Expansion Project is a remarkable success in many ways. With a CapEx of $3 billion, this project comprised the construction of Reduction Line 6, Power Station 5 (PS 5) and other industrial facilities.

Line 6 Expansion Project set benchmarks in sustainable aluminium production – implementation of the proprietary Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA) DX+ Ultra Technology in Reduction Line 6 increases the output with no increase in energy consumption, while GE’s 9HA gas turbine technology in PS 5 has made it the most efficient combined-cycle power plant in the Gulf region. Reduction Line 6 was commissioned within 23 months, one of the fastest expansion projects to be ever commissioned in the aluminium industry. The Line 6 Expansion Project also echoed Alba’s strong safety culture by recording more than (60,893,000) safe working-hours without Lost Time Injury – a notable feat in the aluminium smelting industry.

Shaikh Daij ... an industrial cornerstone of Bahrain.

The MEED Projects Awards recognise the best projects in the GCC across various sectors and promotes best practices in project delivery and operations, as well as innovation and sustainability.

Alba’s Line 6 Expansion Project has also been elected as National Winner for both Industrial Project of the Year and Mega Project of the Year Awards. Following a rigorous judging process based on a range of criteria including innovation, sustainability, design, and engineering among others, the expansion project was a top contender for this award standing out amongst other cutting-edge projects in the GCC.

Commenting on these awards, Alba’s Chairman of the Board of Directors Shaikh Daij bin Salman bin Daij Al Khalifa stated: “We are pleased that Alba Line 6 Expansion Project has been the recipient of MEED Industrial Project of 2020 at the GCC level – this truly recognises Alba’s strategic importance as one of the industrial cornerstones of Bahrain as well as its commitment to the kingdom’s Economic Vision 2030.

Alba’s Chief Executive Officer Ali Al Baqali said: “Alba is closing 2020 as the world’s largest smelter outside China thanks to Line 6 Expansion Project. This landmark project is a pledge of value creation for all our stakeholders and Bahrain’s society for the generations to come.”