The objective is to inspire and engage students to participate in research with
the ultimate goal for them to become aluminium experts in their own right.
The Seminar “Aluminium Value and Knowledge Creation” on 16th September 2014 highlighted technological advances and research in the aluminium electrolysis process. The Seminar was hosted by Hydro Aluminium, Qatalum and Qatar University. Additionally, researchers from the Centre of Advance Materials, Qatar University, undergraduate and graduate students from the same University and also from Texas A&M at Qatar presented their work related to aluminium.
Reduction Manager
Han Petter Lange making his keynote address
In his keynote
address, Reduction Manager, Han Petter Lange mentioned Qatalum’s above capacity
production figure of approximately 630,000 tonnes of premium aluminium per year.
Lange credited this to Qatalum’s creation of a culture of continuous improvement
that has led to a significant increase in efficiency and a lowering of its
business costs, now rated 4th amongst all smelters in the world by
CRU, a foremost market intelligence research organisation, and is a remarkable
improvement from twenty second place in 2012. Lange reflected the Deputy CEO,
Khalid Laram’s sentiment by saying, “This amazing feat can only be achieved by
having competent and excellent personnel to operate this plant and I am very
proud of Qatalum’s tremendous progress. To continue this marked increase in
efficiency, Qatalum will invest in its local and international workforce and
especially within the creation of an aluminium knowledge sphere
developed through the academic sector in Qatar.”
Dr Chris Devadas addressing the audience at the Seminar
“Aluminium Value and Knowledge Creation”
Hydro Aluminium along
with Qatalum have pledged to spread knowledge and competence of the aluminium
sector within Qatar. The technology centre based at QSTP, headed by Dr Chris
Devadas has been the catalyst in promoting aluminium research and technology in
Qatar. Dr Devadas mentioned that, “We have established a strategic partnership
with CAM (Centre for Advanced Materials) at Qatar University to promote
aluminium in Qatar and the GCC. The partnership aims to give participants a
hands on experience to aluminium smelter operations, process optimization,
environmental controls, recycling, and to the behavioural performance of
aluminium as an end use product. We believe this will enable them to be great
ambassadors and employees within the aluminium industry, a metal with endless
possibilities”.
The technology centre has
several projects in its research portfolio. The Environment Project in
particular, demonstrated the inherent cooperation between institutions that
Qatalum is eager to support. The team included Professor Haarberg, the
Qatalum/Hydro Chair at Qatar University, Dr Are Dyroy of Hydro, other scientists
from Hydro and SINTEF (The
Foundation for Scientific and Industrial Research, Norway), along with Hans Petter Lange, Reduction
Manager at Qatalum and several other process engineers and students. The
strategy of combining resources was to collectively research methods on
improving the aluminium electrolysis process by identifying the causes for
variability leading to inefficiencies and subsequently reducing their impact.
“Both Qatar University and the TAMU students teamed-up for the project and
gained knowledge and experience working at the Qatalum smelter while conducting
structured research resulting in statistically quantifiable
results.
‘Highlights of the projects run by the
technology centre have been committed student involvement, aptitude towards
attaining quality results through teamwork and the professionalism shown within
Qatalum,’ concluded Chris Devadas.
