According to CEO Tim Murray, Alba would be achieving the aluminium production capacity of 1.5 million tonnes or 25 per cent of total output across the GCC, on completing Line 6 Expansion Project worth US$3billion. In an interview with Oxford Business Group’s online broadcasting channel, Global Platform, Murray said that this new line will not only make Alba the biggest single-site facility in the world but also take the GCC’s total aluminium production to around 6 million tonnes a year, roughly equal to 10 per cent of global aluminium production.
In the interview, he also noted that the world consumes around 60 million tonnes of aluminium, while China alone consumes 35 million tonnes. So, considering the production footprint, the GCC stands as the next biggest market, with six million tonnes out of 25 million tonnes consumed outside China. The remaining lot is consumed in the GCC and largely exported, as well.
Adding a comment on Bahrain’s strategic location, Murray said it would help the business to take advantage of the rapidly expanding market while saving on the logistics and transport when using Alba.
“We are 12 per cent of the GDP of the country and growing, so it’s a critical part of the economy.”
The CEO also said that this production capacity expansion for generating new employment opportunities would give a new edge to the aluminium sector while adding, “We should be more encouraged to put in new smelters and maybe close down some of the older inefficient smelters.”
Responses
