Full production at new Sunndal

SUNNDAL: Hydro Aluminium Sunndal started production at the last of its 340 new prebake cells on August 1.

(Aug. 5, 2004) The last of the 340 new prebake cells at Hydro Aluminium Sunndal was started on August 1. The Norwegian facility - the largest primary aluminium plant in Europe - is now producing at its full capacity of some 355,000 metric tons per year.

Production manager Trygve B. Svendsen, who is responsible for Hydro's primary aluminium production, was present during start-up of the last cell at the new Sunndal plant. "The process went as planned - and with no injuries," he says. "It has been a great success. Everyone involved deserves congratulations for their efforts."

Following start-up of the last new prebake cell, the Sunndal project is now 99.4 percent complete. Hydro has invested approximately NOK 6 billion in the modernization and expansion project since 2000, and the project is ahead of schedule both in terms of timing as well as its financial frame.

Hydro's board of directors approved the project on August 16, 2000, with an investment frame of NOK 5.6 billion. In addition, the company has invested in adjusting and modernizing new and existing facilities and equipment. A new gas scrubbing facility is nearing completion, and staff will begin moving into a new operations center shortly.

Three sections
The Sunndal production facility is divided into three sections with a total of 340 prebake cells, each of which can produce two mt of primary aluminium per day.

Production in the first new cell started on October 28, 2002 - three weeks ahead of schedule - while all 108 cells in the first section were in production by February 2003. Production in the second section started on April 25, 2003 - nine weeks ahead of schedule - and all 116 cells in that section were in operation by the end of August 2003.

Sections one and two are in the same building, in a hall that is 712 meters long and 50 meters wide.

Ahead of schedule
The Sunndal plant's third section - some 379 meters long and 50 meters wide - has 116 prebake cells. The first started production this year on June 4 - three months ahead of schedule - and the last on August 1. The early start-up is particularly important when taking into account the market's increased demands for aluminium.

As with the first two sections, no problems were encountered during production start of the third section at Sunndal. Two cells were started up every day, including weekends.

What else is new at the new Sunndal? Hydro's proprietary electrolytic reduction technology, for one, has been used. The first cells were started up with an amperage of 252 kA, then later increased to 275 kA due to further technological developments. Amperage has now been increased to 275 kA throughout the new facilities.

Prior to the expansion and modernization project, primary aluminium capacity at Hydro Aluminium Sunndal was 156,000 mt per year.