Major packages awarded in the past four months include:

the anode baking and storage building to Cyprus-based GP Zachariades;

the air compressor unit contract to GP Zachariades;

the furnaces and casting equipment contract to the UK's Solios Thermal;

the cathode rodding facility contract to a team of the local Airmech and South Africa's Murray & Roberts Contractors (Middle East);

the structural steel supply and erection contract on the main potline building to Saudi Arabia's Zamil Steel Industries;

the structural steel supply and erection contract on the bake furnace and anode storage building to Egypt's AIC;

A further nine contracts are scheduled to be awarded by the end of 2003. They are for the:

design, supply and installation of a bath treatment plant;

concrete work on the anode rodding and storage building;

supply and erection of alumina steel silos;

mechanical installation in the potline area;

cathode sealing operation;

concrete work on casthouses 2 and 3;

substation buildings;

water treatment plant;

spent pot linings (SPL) building;

On completion, the fifth potline will comprise 336 cells with total production capacity of 307,000 tonnes a year. It will use AP30 technology developed by France's Pechiney (MEED 26:7:02). Total costs of the expansion project are estimated at $1,700 million. Completion is scheduled for mid-2005.