New Sunndal - the largest aluminium metal plant in Europe
(Dec. 3, 2002) When it is completed in 2004, Hydro Aluminium Sunndal will be a major supplier of extrusion ingots and primary foundry alloys to customers all over Europe, with an annual capacity of nearly 330,000 tonnes. New Sunndal will be the largest aluminium metal plant in Europe. The first section of the extension was officially opened on Tuesday.
 PRESS CONFERENCE: On Tuesday, Hydro president and CEO Eivind Reiten told guests at a press conference about the modernization of the Hydro Aluminium plant in Sunndal, Norway. (Photo: Gisle Nomme) |
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00:00New Sunndal will make a considerable contribution to value creation and will be a core operation in Hydro Aluminium's global network. New Sunndal, which uses Hydro Aluminium's proprietary electrolytic reduction technology HAL250, also sets a new standard in the aluminium industry - not least in terms of environmental standards.
The New Sunndal project involves building a new potline with 340 cells. Once all three sections are completed in 2004, capacity in the new line will be 238,800 tonnes per year.
Section 1 of the new potline, which was opened on Tuesday, consists of 108 cells and has an annual capacity of 76,000 tonnes. It will be in full operation from February 2003.
Meanwhile the old Søderberg plant at Hydro Aluminium Sunndal will gradually be phased out. This has a capacity of 66,000 tonnes per year.
Section 2 will be ready in the summer of 2003, and the whole project will be completed in the fourth quarter of 2004. Hydro Aluminium Sunndal will then have an annual capacity of around 330,000 tonnes primary aluminium.
NEW SUNNDAL: Click on picture for large version (Norwegian text).
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Sunndal will be one of the most efficient metal plants in the world. In terms of production per man-year, productivity will increase from 236 to 570 tonnes once the new plant is in operation. Together with the low investment costs per tonne new capacity, this makes New Sunndal a financially attractive and robust project.
New Sunndal also introduces new environmental solutions, that considerably improve the indoor environment and reduce external emissions and noise. The project meets all known Norwegian and international environmental requirements.
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