Aludium has announced that the company is to reopen the cast house at its plant in Alicante (Spain). The facility had been closed since 2008 due to the impact of the financial crisis on the global aluminium industry. Aludium’s decision is part of the company’s strategic plan to grow the business which also includes mills in Amorebieta (Spain) and Castelsarrasin (France).
COO and President Manuel Ruano said: “All of the steps we have taken since Aludium was formed have been aimed at creating sustainable growth for the long term while reducing our material costs, cutting our environmental footprint, and limiting our dependence on external sources of metal.”
The cast house will have two lines, one of which will produce plates for further processing at Aludium Amorebieta. The second line will use continuous casting technology to produce coils which will be processed in Alicante. Work will begin immediately to ensure the cast house is fully operational in the first quarter of 2019. The work is expected to cost €7 million and will create 23 new positions in Alicante.
The decision to re-start smelting operations at Aludium Alicante will:
- Increase the amount of aluminium Aludium recycles by 10 percent
- Reduce energy consumption by 150 kWh annually, resulting in a reduction in carbon dioxide emissions equivalent to 150,000 tonnes per year
- Reduce Aludium’s dependence on external sources of aluminium
- Meet increased demand for Aludium’s products since Atlas Holdings created the business from assets formerly owned by Alcoa.
Aludium Alicante plant has increased its production by more than 30 percent in the three years since it was acquired by Atlas Holdings. That growth has been supported by a series of investments which have modernised Alicante’s main facilities.
