Alba’s Line 5 project recently celebrated the installation of the first steel works for the new gas turbine building of Power Station 4 (PS4).

The commencement of the steel works for PS4 is a major milestone for this project as it marks the timely progress of the expansion since its initial stages of development, and indicates the speed and efficiency at which this project has been proceeding to meet the target schedule.
PS4’s new gas turbine building will house gas turbine 51 along with three other similar gas turbines. The steam turbine building will house the two steam turbines which will together help supply 660 MW of electric power to Alba’s fifth potline.
While 1,000 tonnes of steel will be used up in the gas turbine building, a similar amount will be used for the steam building, and a further 500 tonnes for other structures. The engineering procurement and construction (EPC) contract for PS4 was awarded to Alstom on a turnkey basis last April and was subcontracted to local contractor Ahmed Mansoor Al A’Ali (AMA), which will undertake the steelwork fabrication, mechanical, electrical and civil site installation work.
“We are extremely happy to have witnessed the commencement of the installation for the PS4 steel works as this highlights the success of the contractors in meeting the time constraints placed on them” says Mahmood Asghar, Alba’s Line 5 Power expansion manager.
“We are confident that the project will be finished as per schedule and power will be available for the commissioning of the fifth potline in 2005,” he adds.
“We are pleased to see that local contractors are playing a major role in the construction of the Line 5 expansion project as their involvement provides significant socio-economic benefits in terms of job opportunities and further contributions to the national economy,” comments Niall O’Byrne, general manager of Alba’s Line 5 Project.
Alba’s $1.7 billion, Line 5 expansion, due for completion in February 2005 will expand its annual production by a further 307,000 tonnes per annum, making it the largest smelter in the world outside of eastern Europe. The expansion is expected to create an estimated 500 jobs and will include a new power station, carbon, casthouse and other facilities.