Century’s Green Aluminum Smelter Project is selected for $500 million funding by the U.S. Department of Energy

On Monday, March 25, Century Aluminum announced it would get up to $500 million from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations as part of the Industrial Demonstrations Program (IDP).

Century's Green Aluminum Smelter Project will receive Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act funding, which is designed to demonstrate commercial-scale decarbonisation solutions to move energy-intensive industries towards net zero.

Century Aluminum plans to utilise the amount for building the first new US primary aluminium smelter in 45 years, aiming at doubling the size of the current US primary aluminium industry and strengthening domestic economies and its position in the global market.

The smelter will also foster domestic supply chains of a critical material like aluminium, which is much needed for the green energy transition, including electric vehicles, renewable energy production and storage, building and construction, and sustainable packaging. 

Century CEO Jesse Gary said, "We are extremely proud that the DOE has selected Century's Green Aluminum Smelter Project to receive such significant support, and we are excited to continue moving this transformational project forward. The Project embodies a great many goals and aspirations shared by all our stakeholders including providing a tremendous win for the domestic, primary aluminum industry and the broader U.S. economy, strengthening domestic supply chains of critical materials, protecting our national security interests, and building a more sustainable future for generations to come."

Century Aluminum desires to build this new smelter at a site within the Ohio/Mississippi River Basin, aiming to create more than 1,000 full-time direct jobs and over 5,500 contractual jobs.

The U.S. Department of Energy has selected four major projects that will decarbonise aluminium operations in the United States. The total fund that it will disburse is $650 million. Century Aluminum will get a lion's share, followed by Constellium $75 million, Golden Aluminum $22.3 million, and Real Alloy $67.3 million.