Aluminium Bahrain (Alba), one of the world’s largest aluminium smelters, has awarded its solar farm project to Advanced United Systems (AUS), to install solar photovoltaic (PV) panels over 37,000 sq m with a capacity of more than 6 MW.

The solar farm project will consist of around 11,300 panels to be fixed on the rooftop of Alba car parks and some of its buildings including its Spent Pot Lining Treatment (SPL) Plant.

The project will generate in the range of 10,539 MWHr per year and 7,591,760 kg of carbon emissions would be reduced per year – corresponding to a total reduction of 189.79 million kg of carbon emissions over 25-year span, Alba said.

AUS is a Saudi company and part of the Taj Holding Group that specialises in smart grid solutions, energy, and renewable energy services.

On the importance of the solar panel farm to Alba, Chairman Shaikh Daij bin Salman bin Daij Al Khalifa said: “Sustainability is entrenched in our vision, mission and values; this project is fully aligned with our Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) ambitions and our pledge to realise HRH the Crown Prince and Prime Minister’s objectives of Net Zero Emissions by 2060 as made during the 26th Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26).”

The solar farm project is one of the many initiatives under Alba’s ESG Roadmap as the company journeys to further sustainable value for its people and society.

Meanwhile, Alba has begun commissioning of the Forced Cooling Network (FCN) Project at Potlines 4 and 5.

Managed in-house by the operations and engineering teams, the FCN Project has enabled Alba to creep up the amperage to 410 kA in Potlines 4 and 5 which would ultimately lead to increasing Alba’s production capacity by approximately 17,000 tonnes per annum.

Detail engineering on the FCN Project commenced in August 2021 while the manufacture and installation began in March last year, said Shaikh Daij at a key ceremony held to celebrate the achievement. Alba then successfully executed the project clocking an impressive 478,000 manhours worked on site without a Single Lost Time Injury, he stated.

Senior Alba executives, respective area directors and managers as well as concerned teams were also present during the commissioning of the FCN Project.