OSLO, Norway, October 18, 2002 (PRIMEZONE) -- The Board of Norsk Hydro (NYSE:NHY) has approved an investment of about NOK 560 million ($75 million) in a modernization and capacity increase of anode baking furnace no. 3 at Hydro Aluminium Ardal Carbon at Ardalstangen in Norway.
Capacity will be increased by 50,000 tonnes to about 104,000 tonnes of prebaked anodes per year, giving Ardal Carbon a total annual capacity of about 210,000 tonnes. The facility will be operational from the spring of 2004.
One important part of this project will be the building of a new gas scrubbing facility to clean flue gases from all anode baking furnaces and will thus contribute to further reducing emissions to air and water at Ardalstangen. The new gas scrubbing facility will destroy organic components, such as PAH.
Hydro Aluminium is currently in the process of expanding its production capacity of primary aluminium at Sunndal in Norway. Projects relating to amperage increase at the aluminium reduction facilties at Ardal and Hoeyanger have already been approved, a relatively modest investment that will lead to an increase in the production of primary aluminium. All these projects require an increased supply of prebaked anodes, and the aluminium reduction technology also requires larger anodes.
Hydro Aluminium has previously approved an investment in the carbon plant Aluchemie at Rotterdam in the Netherlands, a company in which Hydro holds ownership interests. In order to ensure that its supplies of prebaked anodes are adequate and satisfactory, Hydro has decided to expand its own production at Ardalstangen.
Contact Thomas Knutzen Hydro Aluminium
Telephone 47 22539115 Drammensveien 264 Vaekeroe
Cellular 47 90612359 N0246 OSLO
Email Thomas.Knutzen@hydro.com Norway
Phone: (47) 22 53 81 00
Fax: (47) 22 53 79 30
www.hydro.com