It has been a busy start to the Millennium for Comsip Al A'Ali, with substantial orders in Bahrain and a major refurbishment of its headquarters.

Increased project work and personnel forced the company to double its office space last year, while it has become heavily involved in modernisation programmes at Bapco.

The complete installation and detailed engineering, part of a $31 million contract awarded to Alstom/France by Bapco for the modernisation of instrumentation and process control equipment for the low sulphur fuel oil (LSFO) and fluid catalytic cracking units (FCCU) was the major contract received last year.

A site survey for the units has been completed and engineering work has started. While, from the contractors' point of view, there is nothing 'unique' about the project, it is a great challenge as it is the largest single contract received by Comsip Al A'Ali within the refinery.

Comsip Al A'Ali also provided services for the in-line blending project at the refinery under a subcontract with Japan's JGC Corporation, while it has just received a letter of intent from JGC for the kero-merox project, both of which form part of Bapco's $800 million modernisation programme.

With the major part of the upgrade package, the low sulphur diesel project, still to be awarded, there are enormous prospects ahead, said Albrecht Hahn, Comsip Al A'Ali managing director.

Bahrain's diversified economy has softened the impact of fluctuating oil prices, and orders have steadily increased for Comsip Al A'Ali. Major projects in the pipeline include Hidd Power Station Phase II and the expansion to Aluminium Bahrain (Alba), work which the company says it is well placed to secure.

The most recent Comsip Al A'Ali projects conducted for Bapco are the latest in a long line of successful contracts carried out by the company. Comsip Al A'Ali started at Bapco in 1971 with modernisation of the LSFO facilities. Thirty years later, Comsip Al A'Ali's reputation as a reliable provider of customer-focused electrical, instrumentation, engineering and contracting services is very much enhanced.

''As the approved contractor, we are quite familiar with Bapco and have successfully completed many of their projects,'' said Hahn.

But it is not just Bapco which has benefited from Comsip Al A'Ali expertise.

The company's reference list includes all major clients in Bahrain such as Alba, Bapco, Banoco, Banagas, GPIC, Garmco and various Ministries.

''Besides installation projects, we supply control valve spares for Bapco and Banoco and we recently conducted a major, successful shutdown at GPIC against a tight schedule,'' said Hahn.

Comsip Al A'Ali is structured to implement all aspects of turnkey electrical and instrumentation works involving design, engineering, procurement, installation, calibration, testing, commissioning, start-up assistance and maintenance. Its activities cover sectors including power generation, oil, gas and petrochemicals, water distribution and sewage, downstream industry and commercial buildings.

The company says that one of its key strengths is its ability to offer competence at all stages of a project, from engineering to project management, specialised installation and supervision to maintenance services.

In addition to Bahrain, Comsip Al A'Ali also quotes for contracts in other GCC countries and is in particular interested in projects in Saudi Arabia and Qatar in partnership with Alstom, according to Hahn.

In fact, Comsip Al A'Ali's partnership with Alstom provides a competitive edge to the company, offering a combination of international expertise and local installation knowledge. Comsip Al A'Ali is part of the Alstom Group, a world leader in energy, transmission and distribution, transportation and contracting sectors.

With increased project activity, Comsip Al A'Ali has bolstered its provision for health and safety by appointing a second Safety Officer, thus enhancing an already excellent track record which was recognised last year by Bahrain's Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs as one of 10 'outstanding' companies, in particular for its achievements in the field of Occupational Health and Safety.

Training is also a crucial element in the company's future, according to Hahn. Last year, a Training Officer was recruited to train and identify the training needs of those Bahraini employees who will carry the company into a successful future.