Powering reliability: Integrated control solutions enhance aluminum smelting in the Middle East

The challenge

Alba, one of the world’s largest aluminum smelters, needed to expand production by 500,000 metric tons annually to meet growing global demand. This facility’s combined cycle power plant, generating over 2,000 MW of electricity across three gas and steam turbines, was critical to sustaining high production levels.

However, the plant faced significant operational risks—any power loss would halt production, leading to major financial losses. The operations team had previously struggled to integrate multiple control platforms at older plants, leading them to prioritize a unified, high-reliability control system to improve availability, security, and seamless integration across the facility.

The solution

As the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) with an industry-leading control platform, GE Vernova deployed a fully integrated solution to enhance reliability and performance across the plant. The system included:

• Mark VIe turbine control system—Delivering precise control over gas and steam turbines. 
• Ex2100e excitation system—Helping ensure stable power output for uninterrupted smelting operations. 
• Mark VIe distributed control system (DCS)—Providing seamless plant-wide control integration. 
• Advanced cybersecurity solution—Protecting critical infrastructure with real-time security monitoring. 
• Performance monitoring system—Enabling real-time tracking of efficiency metrics and proactive maintenance.

By consolidating power and process functions onto a single platform, Alba’s operations team gained enhanced visibility, seamless system control, and improved plant security.