Expansion starts at Alouette smelter

The Alouette aluminum smelter complex in Sept-les, Que., is undergoing a $1.4-billion expansion.

The refurbished plant is slated to cast the first aluminum ingot in February 2005. Annual production is expected to rise to 550,000 from 243,000 tonnes, more than any other aluminum smelter in North America.

The expansion will require up to 2,000 workers; another 340 will be employed at the smelter.

In February, Alouette obtained a 500-MW block of electricity from Quebec government to meet the needs of the expansion project. The province also contributed $260 million through its investment arm, Investissement Qubec.

Alouette is owned by a consortium consisting of Alcan (40%), Austria Metall (20%), Marubeni (6.7%), Norsk Hydro (20%) and La Socit gnrale de financement du Qubec (13.3%).