Consecutive sanctions on Aughinish Alumina refinery put Limerick community in dismay; 500 jobs at risk

Built between1979-1983, Russian aluminium giant Rusal owned Aughinish Alumina refinery is facing decline both with import and export items, causing extreme fear among the North Kerry County Community, in Ireland. Aughinish Alumina is the largest alumina refinery in Europe and the largest of the alumina facilities operated by UC RUSAL. It mainly operates on the stewardship; circulation of raw materials and extracted products from or to other contracted companies.

By the second week of March 2022 reports were being heard about the Anglo-Australian mining and metal company, Rio Tinto and how it had backed off from supplying raw material, i.e. bauxite to Aughinish Alumina. The latter had a contract with the Australian Kingpin to provide the same amount of alumina in exchange for the bauxite they receive, channelled through Guinea and Brazil. The prevailing warlike situation in Ukraine-Russia has put a halt to this extensive yet essential process. Though Rio Tinto’s collaboration with United co. Rusal international PJSC had seen the highest rise in bauxite mining or alumina extraction in the last three years.

Local ship chandler, Vincent Kelly would be one of those affected if the European Union puts Russian oligarch, Oleg Deripaska’s Rusal on its sanctions list. He said it would simply be disastrous for his family-run business in the Aughinish Island. For the past forty years, Kelly (71) has fed the Aughinish workforce every day and provided supplies to the ships that anchor at the Aughinish jetty under Limerick County, Ireland. “We supply the ships with deck engine stores, chemicals, cleaning chemicals, food, drink, everything a ship would need or want. There’re two ships in Aughinish every day so it would mean that 70 per cent of our ship business would be gone,” he explained.

As early as, the beginning of March, Anluan Dunne of the Tralee-based Green Party hailing from North Kerry showed utmost concern for the 450 workers and their families who are going to get stranded if they are laid off from their duties. “We have families who are dependent on this company. And while the Green Party would have concerns from an environmental perspective, my primary concern here is that, should sanctions be applied against Oleg Deripaska, what happens if the plant must shut down?

“Are the workers going to receive some sort of wage subsidy so they can pay their mortgages?”, he added.

The Cappagh Farmers Support Group has conducted a long-running campaign opposing the expansion of the refinery’s operations, citing concerns about environmental risks to people and livestock. Vast ponds of red mud that interrupt the estuary’s green hinterland are to be expanded if a planning application before An Bord Pleanála is approved. As of 2007, An Bord Pleanála, an independent, statutory, quasi-judicial body that decides on appeals for planning action made by local authorities in the Republic of Ireland, directly decides on major strategic infrastructural projects under the provisions of the Planning and Development Act 2006. Rio Tinto, Queensland Alumina Limited (QAL) and The University of Queensland's (UQ) Sustainable Minerals Institute have been recognised for research into technologies that could turn bauxite residue, or 'red mud', into soil capable of growing plants. As mentioned earlier, in the report, Rio Tinto has already severed its ties with Aughinish Island thus the hoarding of Red Mud is quite inevitable now. Local people are not happy with this outcome since the vastly spread red mud is one of the reasons for community downfall and disease. Moreover, the heightening of the salt cake levels can be another important topic for future discussion or debate.

Pat Geoghegan, a local farmer, has complained for years that his family’s health has suffered and his livestock has died from toxic waste carried on by the wind from Aughinish onto his land at Boolaglass.

Carmel Ryan, the vice-chairperson of the Askeaton Civic Trust, fears the worst: “There are at least a thousand jobs. Lots of people working in small businesses will be indirectly affected if the plant closes…shops, grocery stores.”

The Alumina plant has defined the livelihood of the people surrounding the vicinity. Many workers having relocated to the industrial hub now lodge with the local people, making it quite difficult to segregate the two kinds.

“It put people on their feet, it allowed people to buy a site and build a house with a loan, put in a back kitchen, have a second bathroom, has a second car,” Ms Ryan added.

Kevin Sheahan, local Fianna Fáil councillor says he must continue to support Aughinish workers, despite the Ukrainian bloodshed.

He further added: “My heart goes out to the people of Ukraine, but my heart and soul are with the men and women working in Aughinish, and their families.”

“Sanctions that affect workers are not justified. Larger European powers should start at home when it comes to imposing sanctions on Russians.”