The Albras primary aluminum facility in Brazil restarted operation of one of its production lines, after a fire caused power outage in March forced the shutdown of 25% of capacity. The plant’s three other lines were unaffected and there were no injuries.
Albras is 51% owned by Hydro and 49% owned by Nippon Amazon Aluminum. The smelter has a total production capacity of 460,000 tonnes per year — producing high purity aluminum and foundry alloys. The smelter is the largest producer of primary aluminum in Brazil, and has been feeding domestic and external markets with high purity ingots since 1985.
Response to COVID-19
The Albras smelter donated a former employee quarters in Barcarena for use as a field hospital to provide support for care of patients suffering from the novel corona virus. The smelter is one of many aluminum companies around the world responding to the current pandemic.
“The company has been following developments in the COVID-19 situation and taking effective steps to protect its employees, family members, contractors, and assist in prevention and treatment initiatives, integrating collective efforts to prevent the entry and spread of the virus,” said João Batista Menezes, CEO of Albras.
The nearly 4,000 sq m building consists of 36 apartments with individual bathrooms, as well as common areas for laundry, cafeteria and bathrooms. Adaptation of the structure into a field hospital was being carried out by the municipal administration, as well as installation of the necessary medical equipment for the operation of the hospital.
Albras and the Barcarena municipality began talking about the donation of the building in 2019 — a process that has been accelerated due to the pandemic.
In the future, a space within the building will be created for Todos Pelo Trabalho (‘All For Work’), one of the social programs led by Albras and Hydro Alunorte alumina refinery. It involves a network of partners from the municipality, such as public authorities, private companies, community leaders, and unions in the region and in the future it is planned to be a space for training, job promotion, and events.