UK smelter Alvance British Aluminium has secured an agreement to supply new railway wagons to its site.
It has entered a 10-year leasing agreement with VTG Rail UK for the supply of 20 4-axle powder tank wagons.
They will transport alumina between the Port of Blyth in Northumberland, UK and its Fort William smelter in Lochaber, Scotland, UK.
The wagons will replace a fleet of 2-axle models that have been used since the late 1980s and will nearly double the payload capacity per trip.
The upgrade will reduce the number of annual rail journeys required from 107 to 76 - a 30% reduction that will deliver gains in efficiency and in environmental performance.
This week saw the official handover of the newly-commissioned wagons, which are now ready to enter operational service.
Their introduction forms part of a wider infrastructure upgrade at the Blyth site, where a rail loading facility is on track for completion soon.
This will ensure compatibility with the new fleet and long-term logistics resilience.
The transition has been planned to maintain uninterrupted alumina supply to its 24/7 smelting operations
Tom Uppington, Managing Director of Alvance British Aluminium, said: “These new 4 axle wagons, combined with major infrastructure upgrades, will enable us to carry higher payloads per journey, reduce the carbon intensity of our operations and support the long-term sustainability of our supply chain.
He added: “The outgoing fleet has served us well for more than three decades, but the demands of modern manufacturing and our climate commitments require smarter solutions.
“This project represents a multimillion-pound investment in futureproofing our logistics, supporting both operational efficiency and our reduction in our carbon footprint.”
The project has also brought benefits beyond the rail line, supporting local contractors in Blyth and Fort William during the upgrade phases - bringing investment into local economies and strengthening regional capability.
The next phase of the project will see the wagons retrofitted with VTG’s iWagon technology.
Originally designed for bulk powder transport, the wagons will benefit from integrated real time monitoring, predictive maintenance, and improved fleet management.