A new potline for Alcoa’s Baie-Comeau smelter in Quebec has been postponed and won’t come on stream until 2019 due to current market conditions, says the company.
Preparations for the planned upgrade will go ahead and Alcoa intends to spend $100 million on upgrading the plant’s casthouse, rebuilding port facilities and permanently closing down two Soderberg potlines.
The Soderberg lines will close in August and account for 105kt of capacity and part of 460kt that is currently under review. While the closure will result in an immediate 40% reduction in GHGs it will also mean the loss of up to 500 jobs.
The postponement of the new potline is viewed as having a positive effect on the environment.
Alcoa will still provide $50m over 25 years to the Quebec Government’s Economic Development Fund and will continue to contribute to the Alcoa Sustainable Communities Fund, with an investment of $10m over 25 years for the Baie-Comeau community.
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