Nov 8 2004
The completion of Hydro's new metal plant at Sunndal will be marked at the ceremony presided over by Norway's Crown Prince Haakon on Thursday afternoon. New Sunndal is Europe's largest and most modern aluminium plant and will be an important factor in ensuring Hydro's competitive edge and value creation. The project cost NOK 150 million less than the NOK 5.6 billion budgeted.
"The project team for the development of New Sunndal has ensured completion of the plant well within the cost frame, three months ahead of schedule and has also established a new norm of safety work in major construction projects. This is project execution at its best, and everyone who has contributed to these results deserves credit," comments Hydro President and CEO Eivind Reiten.
Increased production
On Thursday, Crown Prince Haakon formally marks the completion of the New Sunndal plant, which has cost nearly NOK 6 billion.
A total of 340 new electrolytic reduction cells have been installed. The new cells already operate at 275,000 amperes, which gives nearly 10 percent higher production than the original estimates for the project, without any need for additional investment. New Sunndal will have a production capacity of 360,000 tonnes of primary aluminium per year from the new year.
... and better environmental performance
The casthouse has been remodelled and extended. With the addition of scrap and other remelt metal, New Sunndal plans an annual production of around 300,000 tonnes of extrusion ingot and around 80,000 tonnes of primary foundry alloys. Alongside this development, investments have also been made in a new scrubbing plant for the existing production line, Su III, and amperage will be increased here also.
In addition, the working environment in the new plant will be significantly better, and noise, emissions and discharges have all been reduced. The new plant meets all Norwegian and international environmental requirements.
Hydro has 930 employees in Sunndal, divided among potroom, casthouse, anode production, research centre and support functions. The metal plant this year celebrated its 50th anniversary for aluminium production in Sunndal. Hydro also runs the technology company Hycast in Sunndal. Hycast has 40 employees, and is a leading international supplier of technical equipment to casthouse operations and metal refining.
Hydro invests heavily in Norway, in both offshore and onshore activities. During the course of the two previous years, NOK 25 billion has been invested, compared with NOK 12 billion in other countries during the same period.
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