ABB boosts Sohar, Qatalum smelters energy efficiency

ABB, through recent advances in high power conversion technology, has increased the energy efficiency of aluminium smelters by 18 percent at two installations in the region. The high power converters (also known as rectiformers) are the biggest and most powerful ever built and are part of extensive ABB power and automation solutions for the Sohar aluminium smelter in Oman and the Qatalum smelter in Qatar. Sohar, which started production in June 2008, claimed to have the world''s largest potline, which consists of 360 pots and produces up to 360,000 tonnes of aluminium a year; while Qatalum expects to become the world''s largest aluminium smelter with a production capacity of 585,000 tonnes a year and 704 pots when the plant starts operating in late 2009.Air Jordan