Brazilian producer Companhia Brasileira de Alumínio (CBA)’s Metalex aluminum recycling plant will invest BRL50mn ($9.3mn) to increase its extrusion billet output capacity to 90,000mt and maximize scrap treatment, according to media reports.
The plant is located at Araçariguama in southeast Brazil and its capacity expansion project will be conducted in two phases.
In the first phase, a side well furnace will be installed at the unit to boost annual billet capacity by 15,000mt to 90,000mt. The first phase is expected to be completed by 2021-end.
In the second phase, the installation of the new recycling line will allow maximizing the current consumption of scrap in the billet production mix from 60pc to 80pc. The second phase will be done by 2023.
The company said that through the expansion, it aims to deliver more sustainable billets to the market. It further added that apart from gains in efficiency and productivity, the modernization of the plant will reduce the carbon footprint in production.
Metalex also produces a variety of standard, special and premium alloys.