Bahrain Aluminium Extrusion company (Balexco) has signed a BD2 million ($5.3 million) agreement with Monti Engineering of Italy to set up a new line for treating extruded aluminum surface by using the plunging method.

The new anodisng line will have a production capacity of up to 6,000 tonnes per year.

The new line is to replace the current anodising line which has been in use for 23 years, said Balexco chairman Abdul Rahman Mohammed Jamsheer.

He said the new line is a technological advancement and in addition, it can produce high quality coloured sections by using methods such as chemical shine, black and bronze electronic colouring and other types of electrical colouring.

Work on the project, set to commence in the third quarter of this year, will complete by the last quarter of next year, he said.