Anglesey Aluminium plant is on track to full production

Aug 13 2008 by Rachel Owen, Holyhead and Anglesey Mail

BOSSES at Anglesey Aluminium say the plant will be back to full production by the end of the year after a major fire in June.

The company has successfully completed a programme to restart production line one safely and on schedule, reaching half of its total production capacity of 145,000 tonnes.

Work also remains on track with plans to have pot line two running by the end of the year, enabling the smelter to return to full production. Before the second line can be restarted, essential maintenance work is being carried out, which is scheduled to be finished by mid-August.

David Bloor, managing director, praised the hard work and dedication of staff.

He said: “With safety at the forefront, our employees are working hard and it is a credit to them that we are on schedule.”

The Anglesey Aluminium Metal Ltd (AAM) plant is the island’s biggest electricity user and is supplied directly by Wylfa nuclear power station.

Operations at the plant, near Holyhead, were cut by two-thirds after the fire in an electricity transformer on June 12.

The fire ignited 40,000 litres of oil and sent clouds of black smoke pouring from the plant across neighbouring roads.

Fire crews from Holyhead, Rhosneigr and Caernarfon spent three hours tackling the blaze with foam and water. Police officers were drafted in to close minor roads and direct traffic on the A55 as fire crews fought the blaze in the 132 kilowatt transformer.

No-one was injured in the blaze.

The latest news has eased job loss fears for the 540 employees at the plant, with hopes that the factory will be running at full steam by Christmas.

AAM is jointly owned by Rio Tinto (51 per cent) and Kaiser Aluminium and Chemical Corporation (49 per cent) and began operating in 1971.

rachel.owen