It will cost about $9.5Mt to restart the 600kt/y alumina plant, while the plant’s commissioning budget is $17.5M. Production is expected to be about 252kt for 2011. Production at the plant was temporarily suspended in April 2009 due to cost-cutting measures.
Rusal said it had reviewed ways of optimising the facility’s structure and production process, reducing cash operating costs and improving the efficiency of the plant’s operations.
The plant restart is expected to lead to increased plant efficiency, including the port and railway, which is currently only partly used for the Ewarton plant.
Windalco comprises two alumina refineries – the Ewarton Works and Kirkvine Works, Port Esquivel shipping port and bauxite mines in Schwallenburgh, (Ewarton) and Russell Place, (Kirkvine) and farms in Manchester and St Ann. Its production capacity is 1.2Mt/y.