Qatalum achieves 1 million tonnes of liquid metal production

On the 10th of September 2012, Qatalum celebrated the production of one million tonnes of liquid metal sent to its casthouse, a milestone achieved through dedicated teamwork and continued improvement in efficiency. This achievement forms part of Qatalum’s vision of becoming a sustainable economic catalyst in turning Qatar's gas energy into a valuable commodity, and proves that the company is leading the way for the Gulf in producing high-quality aluminum products, Qatalum said in a press release issued here on Tuesday. Qatalum’s potlines are producing approximately 600,000 tonnes annually, 15,000 thousand tonnes above their average capacity since full production began in September 2011. This resounding milestone is directly attributed to the competencies brought to productivity by the potlines international teams, the steady implementation of the Qatalum Production System (QPS) and the organisations collective teamwork. Qatalum’s Deputy CEO, Khalid Laram said, "This is a significant contribution towards Qatar s industrial diversification landscape that undoubtedly proves that we are pioneering a modern sustainable industrial sector for Qatar. This achievement is made possible through our unique knowledge based industry with the support of our employees, owners, Qatar Petroleum and Hydro, suppliers and international customers, Khalid Laram said.   For his part, Chief Operations Officer Jan Peterlic, commended the efforts of all involved and reiterated that, "Further to the setbacks and challenges we have faced, the combination of competent teamwork, successful technology and qualitative improvements is the way forward at Qatalum. At the end of July 2012 our casthouse had already achieved their first million tonnes of value added products and this following milestone by the Reduction Group demonstrates Qatalum’s capability to deliver above average capacity at the right quality". Meanwhile Reduction Manager, Hans Petter Lange believes that, "The current milestone reflects the competence of this organisation and the capability of our environmentally friendly and advanced technology. Together with a systematic use of the QPS principles, it provides a solid baseline for further improvement and achieving Qatalum s aim to become a world class smelter". The significance of this achievement is further emphasised by Qatalum’s unique product casthouse which is the client for the potline s liquid metal. Casthouse Manager Roar Orsund said, "The consistent supply of quality metal needed by the casthouse to fulfil the commitments to the market is extremely high and in this regard, the contribution from Reduction is highly valued. Qatalum is now an established catalyst for a potentially extensive aluminum downstream industry in Qatar with its consistently high quality products. It is a golden opportunity for such industries to benefit from the encouraging fiscal policies, good infrastructure and regulation, accessible power, an excellent geographical location to markets and a growing local and regional market. We remain dedicated to sustainability, efficiency and the highest safety standards. As the aluminum industry in the Gulf continues to expand, we expect our fully-integrated facility to serve as a model for others to follow". It is worth to mention that Qatalum is an equal joint venture between Qatar Petroleum and Hydro Aluminum of Norway, with a production capacity of 600,000 tons of high-quality primary aluminum products per annum from twin 1.2 kilometre potlines. Qatalum’s complex facilities include a carbon plant, port and storage facilities, as well as a captive power plant. The state-of-the-art cast house produces value-added products such as extrusion ingots and foundry alloys that meet the stringent quality standards of Qatalum’s global customer base. Used in a variety of industries including the automotive, construction, engineering and in the manufacturing of consumer goods, by the end of its journey, Qatalum’s aluminum reaches the entire global community. Qatalum has a dynamic and diversified work force, representing over 37 nationalities and is perusing industrial diversity for Qatar and its people by actively creating a future of environmental sustainability and economic opportunities.