Alcoa to Restart Curtailed Aluminum Smelting Capacity

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): Alcoa Corporation announced that it plans to restart curtailed aluminum smelting capacity at its smelter in the State of Victoria, Australia. The capacity has been idle since 2009. The process to restart the capacity is expected to commence immediately. The company hopes to start producing metal from the smelter during the third quarter of 2022. The company press release says that 35,000 mtpy of curtailed capacity will be restarted.

Alcoa Corporation has consolidated capacity of 197,000 mtpy in the unincorporated joint venture Portland Aluminum, which is said to have a total capacity of 358,000 mtpy. The restart will see that Alcoa operates 186,000 mtpy of its capacity operating. Also, the joint venture is expected to operate at 95% of the total capacity.

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The construction works are likely to create 50 temporary positions. The restart project will create around 30 permanent jobs at the smelter. The current total workforce at the smelter is nearly 680, including direct and contract employees.

The aluminum smelter has already entered into a new four-year power agreement with AGL towards supply of energy to operate the restored capacity. The new agreement will supplement the already existing five-year agreement.

The project will create further positive social impact through additional employment and local expenditure, said Michael Gollschewski, President, Alcoa Australia.