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Business Group Profile
"Bauxite and Alumina's operations
are focussed on maximizing sustainability. To us, sustainability
means finding new ways to manage our resources more
efficiently, to make our workplace safer, to enhance
the skills of our employees and to work more effectively
in our host communities. We believe that, in the long
term, this approach positions us for enduring growth
and helps us anticipate and prepare for the forces that
will shape our future."
– Michael Hanley, President and Chief Executive
Officer, Alcan Bauxite and Alumina
Alcan's Bauxite and Alumina group (B&A) represents
a global network of bauxite mines and alumina refineries,
supplying Alcan's Primary Metal group and external customers
with smelter-grade alumina in addition to producing
specialty aluminas for third parties.
With the acquisition of Pechiney, Alcan owns and/or
operates eight bauxite mines and deposits, seven smelter-grade
alumina refineries and seven specialty alumina plants.
Smelter-grade alumina is used in the production of primary
aluminum while specialty aluminas are used in a variety
of applications, including fire retardant products,
refractory bricks, zeolite, alum, plastics, paper, solid
surface products, absorbents and ceramics. As well,
an Alcan-developed specialty alumina is now being used
in public water treatment programs in markets like
India and Bangladesh where it is a proven cost-effective
solution for treating arsenic-contaminated well water.
Alcan is also a global leader in the sale of technology
and technical assistance for alumina processing, with
its own facilities among the most modern and efficient
in the industry. The Bauxite and Alumina group also
owns/leases and operates a global transportation network
that includes rail systems, freight trains, bulk cargo
vessels and port facilities.
In recent years, Alcan has positioned its business
portfolio around low-cost bauxite and alumina assets
in Australia, which has substantially lowered costs
and improved our competitive position. In September
2004, Alcan announced a $1.3 billion investment to expand
and improve the Gove alumina refinery in the Northern
Territory of Australia. This will increase the refinery's
capacity from about 2.1 million tonnes per year to approximately
3.8 million tonnes and will also significantly improve
operating efficiency and environmental performance.
Related stakeholder engagement efforts in 2003 include
a detailed study regarding the environmental and social
impacts of the expansion.
The Pechiney acquisition has increased the group's
alumina production capacity from 4.4 million tonnes
per year to 6.5 million tonnes, making Alcan the second-largest
alumina producer in the world. We now have a strategic
partnership with Corporación Venezolana de Guayana
(CVG) Bauxilum CA in Venezuela and, with Pechiney's
complementary technological expertise and reputation
for processing all types of bauxite, Alcan has reinforced
its global position in this sector. B&A is also
now home to Pechiney's bauxite and alumina trading team,
one of the world's leaders in this area.
With approximately 5,000 employees in twelve countries,
the group is well positioned to improve
Alcan's low-cost position while working alongside stakeholders
to develop innovative and sustainable solutions.
Consult Alcan
Facts 2004 for more information on this Business
Group.
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Bauxite mines/deposits
by country |
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Tonnes |
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| Australia |
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6,000,000 |
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Brazil
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2,500,000 |
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| France*** |
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70,000 |
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Ghana
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700,000 |
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| Greece |
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494,000 |
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| Guinea |
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3,650,000 |
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| India** |
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Alumina facilities
by grade/country
A = smelter-grade
B = specialty chemical grade |
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Tonnes |
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| Australia |
A |
3,550,000 |
* |
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Brazil
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A |
270,000 |
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B |
10,000 |
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Canada
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A |
1,140,000 |
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B |
160,000 |
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| France |
A |
233,000 |
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B |
468,000 |
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| Germany |
B |
17,000 |
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| Greece |
A |
458,000 |
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* Represents Alcan's share
** Some bauxite extraction sites not yet in operation
*** Fluorspar mining |
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Bauxite and Alumina Profile |
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Products/Services |
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Bauxite, smelter-grade and specialty
aluminas |
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Number and type
of facilities (including
partial holdings) |
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8 bauxite mines and deposits
7 alumina refineries
7 specialty alumina plants
Global transportation network |
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Markets served |
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Smelter-grade alumina and specialty-grade
alumina for a variety of applications |
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Major customers |
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Alcan Primary Metal, LME |
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% 2003 revenues |
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4 |
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Number of employees |
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Approx. 5,000 |
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