Over 620,000 tonnes of aluminium produced in 2020
SEPT-ÎLES, January 13, 2021 – Aluminerie Alouette’s year-end results are conclusive. The company allocated 620,706 tonnes of aluminium to its shareholders during a year that was unprecedented in every way. The previous record, set in 2016, was 608,964 tonnes. Alouette employees and partners pulled out all the stops to achieve this operational performance, made possible above all by a committed team.
Shipments at the Sept-Îles port facilities also set a record. Hundreds of thousands of tonnes of aluminium were dispatched around the world, mainly to the United States, for ultimate use in areas like transportation, packaging products and infrastructure.
According to recently appointed Alouette President and Chief Executive Officer Claude Gosselin, “We’re proud of the work accomplished by our employees and partners. Despite the pandemic and market ups and downs, their efforts contributed to push production beyond forecasts. That takes real teamwork! We have to keep on showing resilience: 2021 won’t be easy. Together, we can come out of it bigger, more competitive and, above all, healthy.”
The company has no less than $60 million in capital projects planned for 2021. Their deployment, in some cases depending on pandemic measures, will have a positive impact on health and safety, the environment, costs and operational performance. Alouette is always on the go, always looking for ways to modernize and optimize its operations.
A major project generates results
Launched in 2019, construction of a forced air system to cool the smelter’s AP40 reduction cells was completed in November, enabling Alouette to increase pot amperage and maximize energy use. The $100 million project — the biggest investment since Phase 2 of the smelter — was finished on budget and ahead of schedule.
Over 80 subcontractor and Alouette employees contributed to this achievement, made possible by solid initial work planning and an experienced, committed workforce.
Recruiting top talent
As it prepares to celebrate its first 30 years of operations in 2022, Alouette has seen a number of members of its family opt for a well-deserved retirement. About 50 employees have retired over the past year and a number of their co-workers will also be leaving over the next few months. Ensuring knowledge transfers, maintaining a solid level of expertise and experience and recruiting key team members are therefore among the challenges for the coming years. Already, close to 75 new employees joined the team in 2020. Additional hirings are planned for the early months of 2021, including operators, mechanical technicians and electrical technicians. Apply now at alouette.com/en/careers.
