Albras, the largest producer of primary aluminium in Brazil, is investing around BRL 530 million to develop 124 projects at the company. They range from technologies to improve the production process to improvements in the plant's infrastructure, located in Barcarena, Pará. This is a record volume of investment for the company, which completed 37 years of operation in October. Since 1985, Albras has been supplying the domestic and foreign markets with high purity ingots. Hydro is the company's main shareholder, with 51% of the shares in this joint venture. The other shareholder is NAAC - Nippon Amazon Aluminum Co. Ltd., formed by a consortium of Japanese companies, trading companies, consumers and manufacturers of aluminium products.

“During 2022, we had and still have several projects ahead that will be fundamental to keep Albras up to date with the best technologies on the market, as well as projects that definitively address the stability of our processes. Thus, we make Albras more productive and competitive every day”, says João Batista Menezes, president of Albras.

In 2020, BRL 304.4 million was invested in capital expenditure projects, of which BRL 94.9 million was used in the renovation of equipment and asset maintenance and BRL 209 million in the renovation of the factory’s ovens. For this year, the projects go through several fronts and the main ones are part of a major modernization of the factory.

There are also investments to further improve safety, such as the installation of more advanced and automated systems at the Green Anode plants. “With the implementation of the projects, we will increase the safety of the Green Anode plants, further reducing operational risks with more advanced technologies, all these investments contribute to guaranteeing Albras’ positioning in the leadership of aluminium production in Brazil”, reinforces João Menezes.

Success case

The aluminium manufactured by Albras is sold, still in liquid form, to a customer in Barcarena, who uses it in the production of cables, ensuring the verticalization of the metal in Pará. About 65% of Albras' production is supplied to the Brazilian market, which uses the metal in various applications, such as civil construction, all in light alloys and components for automobiles. In addition, the company sends aluminium ingots to the foreign market.

These are high purity lines, such as ingot P0610, alloy EC 1350, and the traditional portfolio, with P1020. Since 2019, Albras has been selling the alloy called PFA (Primary Foundry Alloy) with 7% to 11% added silicon to meet the needs of the automotive industry.

In this way, Albras continues to contribute and bring positive results for the trade balance and industrial GDP of Pará. In 2021, the company made a financial contribution of BRL 229.3 million to the state public coffers and BRL 17.9 million to the municipalities in tax collection.

“We have been participating in the development of Pará and the municipality of Barcarena and we are always seeking to innovate in order to have an operation that is a reference in the aluminium chain. The high purity aluminium we produce in Barcarena supplies demanding markets inside and outside Brazil”, concludes João Menezes.