US aluminum producer Century Aluminum shipped out 195,697mt of primary aluminum in the first quarter of 2020, up by 1pc from 194,940mt in the same period a year ago.
Michael Bless, chief executive officer at Century, said that the company is focused on upgrading and expanding its processes to cater to the growing demand for low carbon aluminum products.
The company’s net sales increased by 14pc to $444mn in the quarter compared with $389mn a year ago, owing to higher LME prices. However, Century reported a net loss of $140mn due to the impact of higher power prices and inclement weather in the US in February.
Bless added that the Mt Holly plant is set to reach 75pc capacity once it has been rebuilt. The tight supply of primary metal in the US market keeps Century optimistic about the near-term as prices and the Midwest premium are expected to rise throughout the next quarter.