Aluminium Bahrain (Alba), the world’s largest aluminium smelter ex-China, is moving ahead with its plans towards carbon neutrality. To this end, it has commissioned three solar charging stations that will cater to Electric Vehicles (EVs) and Solar-electric powered industrial Personnel Carriers (PCs) being driven within the smelter’s premises.
It may be noted that the firm launched an ESG Roadmap in April last year. “These stations would contribute to an estimated combined savings of around 110,000 KWhr per year, corresponding to a reduction of 42 tonnes of CO2 emissions,” the firm said in a statement. It further informed, “Each station is equipped with a battery storage system that would allow charging during the evening period, along with the facility to push any excess energy to Alba’s power grid, thus maximising the benefits from the clean energy generated.”
Alba’s CEO Ali Al Baqali said, “The transition to carbon neutrality is not only a moral imperative but also a prime objective of Alba’s ESG Roadmap in line with the Kingdom’s Net Zero Emissions by 2060.”
“We are proud to be leading the way in the Kingdom with being the first company to use Solar-Electric powered industrial Personnel Carriers to promote sustainable development on all fronts,” stated Al Baqali at the opening of these new stations, located at the car park areas of Power Stations 3, 4, and 5 Control and Service Buildings,” he noted.
Chief Power Officer Amin Sultan and other senior officials also attended the inauguration ceremony.
The firm informed that it had also procured three new solar-electric powered industrial PCs that will be used in different operational departments.
“With these new PCs, Alba will sustain a daily fuel saving of 9.9 liters/each PC as well as achieve an annual reduction (for all three PCs) of around 25 tonnes of CO2,” he pointed out.
