Aluminium Bahrain's potline energised in 77 days

Bahrain entered the record books when Alba new potline five was energised in a record 77 days. The company embarked on the "100-day safe-startup" challenge 77 days earlier in an attempt to achieve the safe commissioning of its new 1.2-kilometre reduction line 5 - currently the longest AP 30 potline in the world - consisting of 336 electrolytic pots - within the record-breaking time of 100 days, smashing the last record set by a smaller smelter, by 80 days. The startup project resulted in over $39 mn savings for Alba. The creation of potline five has expanded the company's annual aluminium production by over 310ktpy, making the company the largest aluminium smelter in the world outside of eastern Europe, with a total output of 830ktpy. (Bahrain Tribune - 05/16/05)