cWinnipeg Free Press
Rio Tinto Alcan to fully restart Quebec smelter hobbled by massive power outage
Edited by : AL CIRCLE
1 min read
Rio Tinto Alcan plans to begin restarting its 70-year-old aluminum smelter in Shawinigan, Que. in a few days and have it operating at full capacity by the second quarter, the company announced Friday.
A circuit breaker failure on Dec. 29 cut the smelter's annual production capacity in half to 50,000 tonnes.
The company, a division of Anglo-Australian mining giant Rio Tinto (NYSE:RIO), said Friday it will gradually restore two pot lines and production will be at full capacity by the second quarter of 2012.
The smelter, which uses old Soderberg technology, has been scheduled to shut down by the end of 2014 because of provincial environmental regulations.
Stephen Jacques, primary metal chief operating officer, said the restoration of full production capacity is great news for employees and the Saguenay community.
"Collaboration with employee representatives was important because the plant will increase the efficiency of its operations and streamline its organization," he said in a news release.
The plant employs some 450 workers.
A circuit breaker failure on Dec. 29 cut the smelter's annual production capacity in half to 50,000 tonnes.
The company, a division of Anglo-Australian mining giant Rio Tinto (NYSE:RIO), said Friday it will gradually restore two pot lines and production will be at full capacity by the second quarter of 2012.
The smelter, which uses old Soderberg technology, has been scheduled to shut down by the end of 2014 because of provincial environmental regulations.
Stephen Jacques, primary metal chief operating officer, said the restoration of full production capacity is great news for employees and the Saguenay community.
"Collaboration with employee representatives was important because the plant will increase the efficiency of its operations and streamline its organization," he said in a news release.
The plant employs some 450 workers.
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