Work on the station is expected to start later this month and is set for completion in early 2010. Al-Jaber also carried out site preparations work for the Qatalum project.

Qatalum is a joint venture of state oil company Qatar Petroleum and Norway’s Norsk Hydro. Its aluminium smelter at Mesaieed will have an initial capacity of 585,000 tonnes a year (t/y).

A planned second phase of expansion will increase output to 1.2 million t/y.