OREANDA-NEWS. Despite the downside trend of all-in-aluminium prices, Aluminium Bahrain B.S.C. (Alba) was able to increase its overall sales. 

For the first quarter of 2016, sales figures reached 231,538 metric tonnes (mt), an increase of 3,231 (mt), as compared to 228,307 mt in Q1 2015 while production dropped to 235,478 mt against 237,774 mt for the same period in 2015.

Further, Alba’s Value-Added Sales averaged 52% of total shipments in the first quarter of 2016 versus 64% for the same period in 2015.

Commenting on Alba’s sales and production for Q1 2016, Alba’s Executive Officer, Tim Murray said: “We managed to step-up our sales performance despite tough market conditions weighing on the aluminium industry and thanks to focused-marketing strategy.”

About Alba:

Aluminium Bahrain B.S.C. (Alba) - one of the largest and modern aluminium smelters in the world - is renowned for its premium grade aluminium products, technological strength and innovative policies, strict environmental guidelines and high track record for safety. Established in 1971 as a 120,000 tonnes per annum smelter, Alba today produces more than 960,000 metric tonnes per annum of the highest grade aluminium, with products including standard and T-ingots, extrusion billets, rolling slab, properzi ingots, and molten aluminium. Alba is listed on both the Bahrain Bourse and London Stock Exchange, and the Company’s shareholders are Bahrain Mumtalakat Holding Company (69.38%), SABIC Industrial Investment Company (20.62%) and the General Public (10%).

About Line 6 Expansion Project:

Line 6 Expansion Project, expected to begin production by early 2019, will boost the per-annum production by 540,000 metric tonnes, bringing the total production capacity of Alba to around 1.5 million metric tonnes per year. Bechtel Canada completed the Bankable Feasibility study for the $3.5 billion Line 6 Expansion Project in December 2014. EGA’s DX+ Ultra Technology is selected as the base for Line 6, while J.P. Morgan, Gulf International Bank (GIB) and National Bank of Bahrain (NBB) are the Financial Advisors of the Project. The Line 6 Expansion Project will enhance the downstream industry by creating many co-investment opportunities through local and foreign aluminium investments. It will create hundreds of jobs, directly and indirectly, which will be a significant economic boost for the Kingdom of Bahrain.