Mar 26 2009
Hydro has decided to temporary close the oldest production line at its Sunndal plant, representing an annual production of about 100,000 tonnes. The closure is a result of the demanding market situation for aluminium.
Hydro has already implemented wide-ranging measures in order to meet the sharp drop in demand.
With the mothballing of the Su 3 production line at Hydro in Sunndal, Norway, the company’s production curtailments now total around 500,000 tonnes per year, corresponding to almost 30 percent of Hydro’s primary aluminium production in 2008.
The 40-year-old Su 3 is the oldest production line still in operation in the company, and has high production costs. Hydro reached the decision of a temporary closure in close dialogue with employee representatives.
The closure will take around two months to complete and will result in temporary layoffs of around 160 of the 1,000 employees at Hydro in Sunndal. The company will continue to work in close dialogue with employees in the further process to mothball Su 3.