"Alumina Ltd.” operates successfully amid COVID-19 pandemic: Radovan Višković, Prime Minister of Srpska

The Prime Minister of the Republic of Srpska, said on 13^th August’20 in Zvornik that the company "Alumina", regardless of the COVID-19 pandemic, is operating successfully.

"The number of workers who worked before the pandemic and now is the same, there were no layoffs, production is slightly lower than planned, but enough that the factory is not at a loss," Viskovic told after talks with the management of Alumina and with the bankruptcy trustee of the Alumina Factory "Birač".

Viskovic pointed out that the factory was on the metallurgical program a couple of years ago, and today it is 100% on the non-metallurgical program, and that thanks to the workers, technologists and experts, it was saved from going into scrap metal.

"In the process, they changed the production program, adjusted to the world and European market, where they are present in most countries," said Viskovic.

The Prime Minsiter emphasized that, despite the crisis that affected Europe and the whole world, the employees of the company found new customers, won new products and continued to invest in new production facilities.

Viskovic says that he talked with the management, management and representatives of the company's unions, as well as with the bankruptcy trustee of the Alumina Factory "Birac" about what the institutions of Srpska can do to help this collective complete the bankruptcy as soon as possible. The orders of Europe have provided good, not only to employees, but also to Serbia and beyond.

The President of the Management Board of the company "Alumina", Mile Matić, said: “I have informed the Prime Minister of the Republic of Srpska about the production activities and new silica gel plants, where there are several products.”

"Behind us is a difficult period, the global crisis caused by the corona virus pandemic, but we also show that we are a sustainable system. We have lower production results and lower exports, but the company is sustainable," said Matic, who thanked the Prime Minister of Srpska for visit this collective.

Viskovic and Matic visited the plant for the production of finely precipitated hydrates, in which about 30 million KM were invested.

The project of construction of this plant began to be realized at the end of 2016 and in the last three years this is one of the most important investments in the company "Alumina".

The construction complex includes about 10,000 square meters of usable space on which technological equipment is installed.

The company "Alumina", with the production of finely precipitated hydrates, has entered the foreign market with a capacity of 10,000 tons since the second half of 2017.

The project was realized in several phases, and with the completion of phase "3-b" in April, conditions were created for the annual production of 60,000 tons of finely precipitated hydrates.

The realization of the project of building a plant for the production of finely precipitated hydrates has created a new production value, which will provide a better market position and progress for the company "Alumina".

Precipitated hydrates are used mainly in the production of power cables, which is the basic application, and for the production of some rubber and plastic materials, as an addition to other components.