Alba organizes key forum on challenges in aluminum smelting

Aluminum Bahrain's commitment to encourage serious discussions on key issues currently facing the aluminum industry received an impetus when the company organized Challenges in Aluminum Smelting a two day forum for smelter managers and industry experts on November 24th and 25th 2010 at the Alba Club in partnership with the University of Auckland's Light Metals Research Centre.

More than 100 delegates from around the world are participating in this two-day forum that will be immediately followed by the three-week long 2010 University of Auckland Postgraduate Certificate in Light Metals Reduction Technology which is being held outside New Zealand for the first time.

Mr Mohammed Mahmood COO of Alba and Mr Mark Taylor director of University of Auckland's Light Metals Research Centre welcomed the delegates to the forum and expressed confidence that the event would encourage discussions on varying views and approaches to issues facing the industry.

Mr Mahmood later presented the forum's first keynote speech entitled ultimate challenges in GCC smelters.

Mr Laurent Schmitt CEO of Alba said that the forum is held this year against a backdrop of economic recession, energy demand and price escalation along with rising concerns on the sustainability of energy intensive industries. It will enable industry professionals to exchange views, share ideas discuss diversity of opinions and arrive at a shared understanding of issues facing the industry as a whole. Alba is proud to organize this event along with the University of Auckland. We consider it a great honour to support this forum, which is being held outside New Zealand for the first time and that Alba has been chosen to be the venue.

He said that the topics that will be covered during the two-day forum will be, energy balance on cells and the energy barrier, ultimate challenges in GCC smelters, leadership, energy flexibility, role of engineering groups in smelting breakthrough, the value of research in primary smelting, the relationship between smelter performance and sustainability of industries within communities, cell to cell variation and potential for better control and others.