Aughanish plant extension opens

A CONTENTIOUS development spanning 195 acres that is to receive over 18 million tonnes of red bauxite residue at the Aughinish Alumina plant on the Shannon estuary is due to commence operating later this month.

Rusal Aughinish confirmed the start up of the project yesterday at Europe’s largest alumina refinery — four years after the plant secured planning permission for the proposal from An Bord Pleanála in the face of strong local opposition.

The major extension to the Bauxite Residue Disposal Area (BRDA) enables the $1.2 billion (€820 million) refinery to continue operating to 2026 where it is licensed to dispose of 1.2 million tonnes of the red bauxite residue per annum at the site.

The opening of the BRDA extension comes as the existing 236-acre BRDA at Aughinish is projected to reach the end of its life by next year when a total of 23.3 million tonnes will have been deposited.

The plant employs 650 workers, made up of 450 permanent employees and 200 contractors, with the company estimating an annual contribution of €100 million to the local economy.

Work commenced on the BRDA extension project three years ago, but was suspended for a period due to the global world recession where production at Aughinish Alumina plummeted.

A spokesman for Rusal Aughinish yesterday confirmed that the BRDA extension “will be completed during July and commissioning of the new area will begin immediately”.

He confirmed that the refinery returned to profit last year after sustaining combined pre-tax losses totalling $63.6 million (€43.7 million) in 2009 and 2008.

The spokesman declined to state the cost of the BRDA extension due to it being commercially sensitive, but stated that “it has provided valuable local jobs over the last three years”.

He said Rusal Aughinish recorded no non-compliances in its Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) licence last year.