We will live up to expectations

Truls Gautesen

Under the auspices of HH Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani, Heir Apparent of the State of Qatar, Qatalum has celebrated the Foundation Stone Laying Ceremony, in Mesaieed, Qatar.

H.E. Abdullah Bin Hamad Al-Attiyah, Qatar’s Deputy Premier, Minister of Energy and Industry, Chairman of the Board of Directors and Managing Director of Qatar Petroleum also participated, together with his Norwegian counterpart, Åslaug Haga, Minister of Petroleum and Energy, the chairman of the Qatalum, Abdullah Salatt, and Chief Executive Officer of Hydro, Eivind Reiten.

Qatalum will be the largest primary aluminium plant built in one phase, with an initial annual capacity of 585,000 tonnes.

We are very much aware of the expectations our owners have for us. We are equally aware of the expectations of the Qatari community and of the other stakeholders. It makes the challenge even more exciting to know that you are playing a part in Qatar’s national vision to develop a broader, knowledge-based economy. 

We will do our utmost to live up these expectations and help strengthen the industrial base of Qatar. Aluminium, which can be regarded as “solid energy”, will introduce new manufacturing partners to Qatari society.

I say “we” because the development of Qatalum is in every way a team effort.

The Qatalum management team is now in place and ready to make its contribution. The management team consists of nine persons from five countries, who are all focusing on a single goal: To see the successful execution of this project and establish Qatalum as a quality operator and supplier of primary aluminium products.

We have had the opportunity of drawing upon the pooled resources of Qatar Petroleum and Hydro. Two managers are Qataris who have extensive experience of the QP system. Four of us are Norwegians, while three more are from other countries.

Of course the teamwork extends beyond my own management team.

In executing the project we will work closely with the Project Team, which is headed by Erik Smith. Their task is to deliver this mega-project on time, and on cost, while meeting the safety performance targets we have set ourselves. A formidable task, indeed.

But we have every confidence that they will meet this challenge.

For these reasons, the Qatalum project has been split into 12 sub-projects, or so-called EPC-contracts. In a difficult and overheated market situation for all industries, we have managed to select a strong team of contractors to execute these contracts. We are talking about some really big construction projects here, and about bringing in the best available technologies and solutions.

We look forward to cooperating with, and depending on, the quality work of each and every contractor. The safe execution of the project will to a large extent depend on the contractors who will be carrying out the actual construction work during the next two years.

Site preparations are now drawing to a close, as you will see if you take part in the site-tour after the reception this morning. On-site construction activities will start up this month. We will start commissioning the first plants as soon as the spring of 2009. Moreover, we intend to be ready for the first metal in late 2009 - and for full production in the summer of 2010.