Primary aluminum producer, Century Aluminium aims to increase its production at Mt Holly and Hawesville, according to the company annual report released on March 4.
The company’s three-year power agreement with the South Carolina public service authority effective from April 1, 2021. This new contract will allow Mt Holly smelter to boost production and reach 75pc of its 229,000mt capacity from the present 50pc.
The company has smelters in the US, Hawesville, Robards in Kentucky, Goose Creek, South Carolina at Mt.Holly, and Grundartangi in Iceland.
The company is also in the process of reversing curtailed capacity at Hawesville by building two potlines, the first leg of which has already been completed. The smelter is adjacent to the Ohio River near Hawesville is owned and operated by Century Kentucky. It was forced to curtail 60pc of the capacity since the fourth quarter of 2015 due to significant declines in the LME aluminum. Hawesville has an annual production capacity of around 250,000mt.
The second phase of the project involves rebuilding the two potlines that had continued to operate past their expected life cycle. These potlines were out of production since 2019.
Once the potlines are operational, Hawesville smelter will be able to utilize 80pc of production capacity. The company will rebuild its fifth potline as per the market condition.
Century Aluminium has an annual capacity of 1.01mn mt and produced 794,000mt in 2020.