Bahrain-based smelter Aluminium Bahrain (Alba) has declared force majeure on its aluminium deliveries due to shipping disruptions through the strait of Hormuz since the start of the US/Israel-Iran war, the company has confirmed.
The force majeure is solely in relation to shipment delays through the strait of Hormuz, and is not a result of a 1 March attack on Bahrain's Mina Salman port, Alba said. Civil defence teams were carrying out procedures to control a fire resulting from an Iranian attack on a maritime facility near Mina Salman port on the evening of 1 March, Bahrain's interior ministry said.
Alba produced a record-high 1.623mn t of aluminium last year, narrowly beating its previous record from a year earlier.
Almost all Middle Eastern aluminium producers have been affected by the growing conflict in the region. Norwegian aluminium producer Hydro announced on 3 March that its Qatar-based joint venture Qatalum has initiated a controlled shutdown of its aluminium operations, and other producers in the region are said to be stockpiling metal while shipping through the strait of Hormuz has stopped. Some are in a position to truck material to alternative ports, although at significant cost of time and expense.
