Hydro's alumina and primary metal production units are celebrating their anniversary. On 10/20, the largest alumina refinery in the world outside of China, Alunorte, turned 25 years old. And on 10/24, one of the largest metal producers in the Americas, Albras, will be 35 years old. The stories of the two companies speak to the development of Pará, mainly because they attracted investments and professionals to the region of Barcarena, municipality where they are located.

Currently, Albras has 1,280 own employees, of which 84% are from Pará. In addition, more than 50% of leadership positions are held by people born in Pará. “Albras is a consolidated company, which has participated in the development of Pará and the municipality of Barcarena throughout its trajectory. We are always looking for the technologies and innovations available to have an operation that is a reference in the aluminum chain. The high-purity aluminum we produce in Barcarena supplies demanding markets inside and outside Brazil, ”says João Batista Menezes, president of Albras.

He adds that the company's teams always face the challenges posed by the operation. “Our employees are dedicated to making improvements in the industrial process, every day, to deliver a quality product, with safety, respect for the environment and people,” he reinforces.

Alunorte's history is also marked by the presence of people from Pará who contribute daily to the company's results. The refinery has 2,220 own employees, with the percentage of paraense being 83% of the total and almost 60% of them lead teams. With the sum of the direct labor of the two companies, there are 3,500 jobs in the region of Barcarena. “I am proud to be one of the leaders of Alunorte, a refinery that is continually renewed to have efficient and safe production for everyone. We have sustainability as a priority, we invest in advanced technologies and in initiatives that make our operations more responsible and even safer ”, says Michel Lisboa, industrial director at Alunorte.

Over the 25 years, according to Michel, Alunorte has invested in several actions to be a better neighbor and to grow together with the communities of Barcarena. “In this way, we are prepared for the moment, with a qualified, demanding market and where our alumina refinery is a reference,” he points out.

Investimentos - From 1995 to today, Alunorte has already carried out three major expansions that expanded its production to reach 6.3 million tons of alumina per year, or 7% of what is produced in the world. With seven production lines, Alunorte supplies 14% of its alumina to Albras and 86% to customers in Norway, Canada, Qatar, the United States and Japan. Part of the alumina is also used in the manufacture of refractory materials, water treatment, products abrasives, for polishing and spark plugs.

The aluminum manufactured by Albras, on the other hand, is sold, still in liquid form, to a client in Barcarena, who uses it in the production of cables, guaranteeing the verticalization of the metal in Pará. About 70% of Albras' production is supplied to the intern market. In addition, the company destines aluminum ingots to the foreign market. There are two lines of high purity, P0610 and P1015, and the traditional portfolio, with P1020. In 2019, an alloy line called PFA (Primary Foundry Alloy or Primary Metal Alloy, in Portuguese) was also launched with 7% to 11% addition of silicon to serve the automotive industry.

These products also bring positive results to the commercial balance and industrial GDP of Pará. In 2019, Albras contributed financially with R $ 8.8 million to the state public coffers and R $ 6.9 million to the municipal ones in collecting taxes. Alunorte allocated R $ 1.5 million to state public coffers and R $ 25.2 million to municipal coffers. Another important contribution is the acquisition of products and services, which last year totaled R $ 3.7 billion in Pará alone, representing more than 60% of Hydro's purchases.