Rusal’s Aughinish alumina refinery seeks storage expansion capacity of bauxite residue and salt cake to sustain until 2039

The major alumina asset of Rusal and one of the world’s leading energy-efficient refineries, Aughinish alumina stated that numerous developments are essential at their facility near Askeaton, Limerick County to pursue production until at least 2039.

However, lacking these developments, the company stated in its planning application that the refinery might discontinue production in 2030 based on current production levels of 1.9 million tonnes of alumina a year.

Since 1983, the Aughinish alumina refinery has been functioning with current staff strength of 482 and a further 385 people in maintenance and contract jobs.

The company said in its planning application, “The closure of the facility at Aughinish would result in a significant loss in highly-skilled employment opportunities in the wider area and result in the loss of one of the state’s major industrial manufacturing facilities.”

Furthermore, it highlighted that aluminium, which is smelted from alumina, will anticipate its importance rising as the economies transition towards a low carbon future, an indication towards usage of aluminium in electric vehicles and photo-voltaic panels.

The refinery now seeks permission to augment capacity for two of its by-products, bauxite residue and salt cake, by elevating the heights they are stockpiled.

The refinery currently banks the bauxite residue which is red-coloured material to a maximum height of 32 metres in an open, 184-hectare site, known as the Bauxite Residue Disposal Area (BRDA) or red mud pond. However, the company now desires to raise the height by 12 metres to a maximum of 44 metres.

Now the salt cake which is a hazardous material stowed in a separate, line cell within the BRDA and the refinery wants to raise the height of this stored material from the current maximum of 29 metres to a new maximum of 35 metres.

According to the application the present capacity for this salt cake will run out in 2023 and the company also anticipates having a new procedure in place which will limit its production.

Furthermore, the company also needs to extend its borrow pit by approximately four hectares, as the borrow pit is where rock is excavated to a depth of over eight metres for use in the refinery.

No more than once a week between April and September each year would evoke rock blasting. However, permission for rock blasting was accorded by Limerick City and County Council late last year.

Concurrently, Limerick City and County Council will be making its submission of the application and an executive report on the matter is expected to emerge before the full meeting of the council on 24^th January 2022.