One of the largest primary metal producers in the Americas, Albras, completed 34 years of operation in Pará, on October 24, 2019. The aluminum produced in the company, still in liquid form, is supplied to the client in Barcarena, which uses it in the production of cables, guaranteeing the verticalization of the metal in the State. Also in October, the Alunorte alumina refinery completed 24 years of activities in the municipality, which shows the importance of Hydro companies for the development of that region.

Intended for the domestic and foreign markets, especially the industrial, cable and automotive markets, aluminum ingots produced in Pará are 99.7% pure. Albras has two lines of high purity of primary ingots, P0610 and P1015, in addition to the traditional portfolio, with P1020 and liquid metal. This year, the company also launched a new alloy line called PFA (Primary Foundry Alloy or Primary Metal Alloy, in Portuguese) with 7% or 11% addition of silicon to serve the automotive industry.

“These products in the portfolio can be applied to the development of electric motors and cables, the manufacture of wheels and motorcycles, pistons for car and aircraft engines and reinforce the company's commitment to the verticalization and integration of the Pará aluminum chain” , says João Batista Menezes, president of Albras.

The availability of products in Pará can contribute to the local socioeconomic development, by making the Barcarena region more attractive to new investments, for example, in the automotive area. “These products also bring positive results to the state's trade balance and industrial GDP. To prepare the plant for the new moment, Albras has been making significant investments since 2016 ”, adds the president of Albras.

Albras has more than 1,200 employees. In addition to the other 2,000 Alunorte workers, Hydro generates approximately 3,200 direct jobs in the Barcarena region. The world's largest alumina refinery outside China, Alunorte is Albras' exclusive supplier of alumina. In addition to Albras, the company serves customers in the USA, Canada, the Middle East, Norway and Russia. Part of the alumina produced at the refinery is also used for the manufacture of refractory materials, water treatment, abrasive products, for polishing and spark plugs.

Operational safety - Hydro invested more than R $ 1 billion to implement one of the most modern technologies in the world in the treatment and storage of waste at the refinery, the press filters. The press filters generate a residue with 78% solids content, which allows dry stacking by means of compaction, increasing the safety of the deposit. The company was the first to use this technology to filter waste in Brazil on a large scale.

With the combination of these two technologies (press and compaction filters), the space required to store waste is four times smaller when compared to the previous technology. This procedure significantly reduces the moisture in the bauxite residue. The refinery also invests in wastewater management and monitors deposits using geotechnical instruments to assess safety and operational stability. By 2020, R $ 675 million will be invested in the refinery's water treatment system.