Aluminium Bahrain has government approval for Line 6 gas allocation

Abu Dhabi: Aluminium Bahrain has received approval from the kingdom’s government for the gas allocation needed to support its planned sixth production line, which is expected to start operating in 2018, a top company executive said on Tuesday.

Alba, owner of the world’s No. 4 aluminium smelter, expects final approval for the gas pricing structure on the line by the end of the year, Chief Operating Officer Isa al-Ansari said at an industry event in Abu Dhabi. Once secured, the scheme will take 36 months to complete, meaning production should begin in the first quarter of 2018, Ansari told reporters on the sidelines of the event.