Alcoa to reduce production 75% at Portland Aluminium smelter in Australia

Alcoa Corporation announced that the Portland Aluminium smelter in the state of Victoria in Australia will begin to immediately reduce its overall production due to operational instability. Production at the smelter will be reduced to approximately 75% of the site’s total consolidated capacity of 358,000 metric tons per year, or mtpy. Alcoa’s share of the total capacity is 197,000 mtpy. The smelter, which has a total of 408 pots, had previously been operating at about 95% of its total capacity. The smelter has recently faced instability and challenges related to the production of rodded anodes, which are necessary to convey electricity into the smelting pots.