On Wednesday, September 16th, the CEO of Alba Aluminum stated that the company's annual aluminum production capacity is currently 1.3 million tons. Before the outbreak of the conflict in Iran, the production capacity was approximately 1.6 million tons.
Alba Aluminum claims to be the largest single-site aluminum smelter in the world. After the conflict broke out, the shipping through the Strait of Hormuz was hindered, affecting exports. The company shut down production lines 1, 2, and 3; at the end of March, the plant also suffered an attack from Iran.
Ali Al Bagali, during a break from the Fastmarkets aluminum conference in Budapest, introduced to the media that Alba Aluminum is currently operating its production lines 4, 5, and 6, corresponding to an annual production capacity of 1.3 million tons.
He described this Iranian attack as a "small-scale attack."
"The facilities were indeed damaged, but we have completed the repairs and there are no remaining issues," Al Bagali added. The related losses of Alba Aluminum have been insured.
Al Bagali stated that after completing the acquisition of the French smelter Aluminium Dunkerque in the coming months, its total production capacity will return to 1.6 million tons.
The CEO said that to maintain production, Alba Aluminum transports 300 to 350 trucks of raw alumina into the plant every day.
AI Baqali said: "We currently receive approximately 7,000 tons of alumina per day." He stated that this logistics plan is costly, but the high prices of aluminum on the London Metal Exchange (LME) and the spot premiums are sufficient to offset this expense.
AI Baqali said that during the ongoing hostilities in the Middle East, Alba Aluminum is exporting metals through the Red Sea ports of Jeddah in Saudi Arabia and Sohar in Oman.
