Hydro Aluminum's Texas Plant Nears Full Capacity

Hydro Aluminum North America, a unit of industrial giant Norsk Hydro ASA said production at its new remelt plant in Commerce, Texas, was nearing full capacity, two weeks ahead of schedule.

The 90,000 metric ton-per-year aluminum scrap reprocessing plant, a $37 million investment, is part of Hydro Aluminum's long-range strategy to raise capacity in the North American market. The facility is focusing on businesses in the transportation and construction sectors in Texas.

Production at Commerce started on Nov. 15, 2002. Ramp-up had been expected to take about 20 weeks to reach full capacity, Hydro said last year.

Hydro Aluminum now has a total U.S. remelt capacity of more than 400,000 metric tons, including plants in Henderson, Kentucky; Monett, Missouri; Ellenville, New York; Phoenix, Arizona, and St. Augustine, Florida.

The company has invested nearly $85 million in its North American remelt operations over the past four years, it said.

Martin Carter, president of Hydro Aluminum North America, said Commerce's rapid ramp-up resulted from previous experience in its remelt network in Europe and from having established a similar plant in Henderson, Kentucky, in 2000.

Commerce is designed to produce primary-quality billet using 5 percent of the energy typically consumed in making primary aluminum at smelters. The plant also enables customers to recycle their own scrap to optimize their own production processes.

The facility makes billet from recycled aluminum for the U.S. Southwest -- mainly the transportation and building and construction market segments in Texas.

Hydro Aluminum North America is part of Hydro Aluminium, which it said is Europe's biggest aluminum company and one of the world's top three integrated aluminum companies.