Oct 4 2006
Alcan will build a US$180 million aluminum spent pot lining recycling plant in Quebec’s Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean region. This unique industrial-scale pilot plant will employ 50 people and has a capacity of approximately 80,000 tonnes to recycle spent pot lining using Alcan’s proprietry technology.
Spent pot lining is the residual material generated in the de-lining of pots following the aluminum smelting electrolysis process. The spent pot lining is composed of carbon and various inert elements and is typically pre-treated and land-filled under strict precautions. Through this new process, all of the spent pot lining will be recyclable, providing the global aluminum industry a sustainable re-usable solution for spent pot lining’s by-products. .
"Alcan is proud to have developed a sustainable, innovative and cost-competitive solution for the treatment of spent aluminum pot lining that could become the standard for the entire industry," said Cynthia Carroll, President and Chief Executive Officer, Alcan Primary Metal Group at a press conference today. "Alcan will continue to pursue research in collaboration with our partners to completely recycle the by-products generated by this process. This plant demonstrates Alcan’s on-going commitment to developing solutions that are not only environmentally sustainable and beneficial for the community, but that also create value for our shareholders," she added.
The plant’s technology was developed at Alcan’s Arvida Research and Development Centre (ARDC) and is expected to begin pot lining treatment operations in the second quarter of 2008. The site could also process spent pot lining for other Quebec aluminum producers. Of the various alternative approaches that were studied, this technology and investment was the superior one based on Alcan’s environmental, economic and social criteria.
"The realization of this project is the result of the collaborative efforts of several stakeholders, such as the federal and provincial governments, the city of Saguenay, and employee representatives who assisted Alcan throughout the process,” said Jean Simon, President, Alcan Primary Metal, Quebec and the USA. “It is further evidence of Alcan’s commitment to investing in the Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean region, in the very heart of the Jonquière Complex," he added.