Alcoa completes energy infrastructure project at its Deschambault Smelter
PITTSBURGH – Alcoa Corporation today officially marked the completion of a capital project that is expected to improve stability, increase efficiency, and boost production at its Deschambault aluminum smelter in Quebec, Canada. Teams celebrated the recently inaugurated energy infrastructure project at the Deschambault aluminum smelter.
The smelter has finished the installation of upgraded electrical infrastructure, the result of a $47 million capital project to help the site continue to improve operations. The work included the addition of a third electrical transformer to provide more amperage to the smelting pots and enable increased metal production.
In addition, upgraded environmental equipment will allow the plant to maintain environmental compliance as it works to increase aluminum production in the coming years.
In 2019, the Canadian government, through its Strategic Innovation Fund, announced a CA$10 million contribution toward the project at Deschambault.
“Through continuous improvement, we have been able to economically increase the capabilities of many of our assets, and this capital project at Deschambault should help us meet the strong demand we’re seeing for sustainably produced aluminum,” said John Slaven, Alcoa’s Executive Vice President and Chief Operations Officer. “We appreciate the dedication of our employees and the strong support from our stakeholders, including the investment from the Government of Canada.”
The three smelters that Alcoa operates in Canada (Deschambault, Baie Comeau and Bécancour) are certified to standards set by the Aluminium Stewardship Initiative, the industry’s most comprehensive, third-party system to verify responsible production.
In total, Alcoa Corporation has a consolidated nameplate capacity of 946,000 metric tons per year (mtpy), across its three Canadian smelters, all powered by renewable hydroelectricity. In 2021, all three sites set annual production records. Deschambault’s nameplate capacity is 287,000 mtpy and is the home to Alcoa’s Aluminum Center of Excellence, where manufacturing best practices are developed and standardized for global deployment across Alcoa’s system.
Alcoa (NYSE: AA) is a global industry leader in bauxite, alumina and aluminum products with a vision to reinvent the aluminum industry for a sustainable future. With a values-based approach that encompasses integrity, operating excellence, care for people and courageous leadership, our purpose is to Turn Raw Potential into Real Progress. Since developing the process that made aluminum an affordable and vital part of modern life, our talented Alcoans have developed breakthrough innovations and best practices that have led to greater efficiency, safety, sustainability and stronger communities wherever we operate.
