Alba runs at 1.3 mtpa as Bahrain smelter navigates Middle East disruptions

Aluminium Bahrain (Alba) is currently producing aluminium at an annualised rate of around 1.3 million tonnes, with the smelter operating at roughly 80 per cent of its pre-Iran war capacity, according to CEO Ali Al Baqali.

Alba had a pre-war capacity of around 1.6 million tonnes per year, but production was disrupted after the outbreak of the war and restrictions around the Strait of Hormuz affected exports. The smelter was also hit by an Iranian attack in late March.

The Bahrain-based producer is now operating Lines 4, 5 and 6, together representing annualised aluminium production of approximately 1.3 million tonnes, Al Baqali told Reuters on the sidelines of the Fastmarkets Aluminium Conference in Budapest on September 16.

Al Baqali described the damage from the Iranian strike as minor and said "We got damages and we already repaired them," on the sidelines of the Fastmarkets Aluminium Conference in Budapest, adding that Alba was covered by insurance. He added that Alba's losses were covered by insurance.

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Maintaining production, however, has required a major logistics effort. Alba is currently bringing in 300 to 350 truckloads of alumina every day, with around 7,000 tonnes of alumina being received daily, according to Al Baqali.

The CEO described the logistics operation as expensive, although higher London Metal Exchange aluminium prices and physical-metal premiums are helping offset the additional costs.

With Middle East hostilities continuing to disrupt traditional trade routes, Alba is exporting aluminium through Saudi Arabia's Jeddah port on the Red Sea and Sohar in Oman, Al Baqali said.

The shift highlights the operational pressure facing Gulf aluminium producers as regional shipping disruptions affect the movement of both raw materials and finished metal.

Alba's overall capacity is expected to return to around 1.6 million tonnes per year once it completes its acquisition of French smelter Aluminium Dunkerque, which Al Baqali said is expected to happen within the next couple of months.

For now, Alba's 1.3-million-tonne annualised production rate reflects a partial recovery from the disruptions that forced the smelter to curtail operations earlier this year. The company's focus remains on keeping its operating lines supplied while finding alternative export routes amid continuing regional uncertainty.

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