Alro powers ahead with 11.5M furnace upgrade – eyes efficiency & market gains

Romanian aluminium producer Alro has commissioned a state-of-the-art electric furnace for ageing aluminium alloy plates, following an investment of 11.5 million lei ($2.7 million/2.3 million euro). The newly installed electric furnace replaces three older gas-powered units, streamlining heat treatment operations in Alro’s processed aluminium division.

This upgrade is set to boost equipment efficiency while enabling more precise control over temperature and other key parameters, the company announced on Wednesday.

Specially designed to age aluminium plates from the 2xxx, 6xxx, and 7xxx series alloys, the advanced system can handle plates measuring up to 13,000 mm in length and 2,200 mm in width. Alro, a subsidiary of global aluminium producer Vimetco, saw its shares rise by 6.83 per cent to 1.72 lei on the Bucharest Stock Exchange as of 13:23 CET on Wednesday.

"By replacing natural gas with electricity, this equipment not only brings greater precision and efficiency to our production processes, but also aligns with our strong commitment to sustainable development. Compared to traditional solutions, electric heat treatment furnaces offer multiple benefits: increased efficiency, superior control, reduced environmental impact, and better alignment with sustainability requirements and current industry standards," said Alro CEO Marin Cilianu.