Alcan evades comment on smelter anti-pollution proposal

ALCAN has avoided any comment on a proposal that it should consider investing in a local carbon sequestration project to counter air pollution from its proposed smelter at Coega.

But it has pledged it "will work with local stakeholders to make this (Coega) project the right choice for all involved".

In a response from Alcan's head office in Montreal, Canada, to the proposal from carbon sequestration project co-ordinator Dr Anthony Mills, spokesman Alexander Christen said Alcan was a responsible company.

"Alcan cares as much about its own sustainable growth as it does about that of the communities in which it operates. The company takes into consideration all of the social, economic and environmental dimensions of a project before proceeding."

For the proposed Coega aluminum smelter, the company had thoroughly assessed its potential environmental footprint, and this process would continue, he said.

The company would apply AP- series smelting technology at Coega, which was not only the world's most advanced from an efficacy point of view, but also from an environmental perspective, he said.

The water affairs and forestry department's carbon sequestration project is aimed at restoring the province's succulent thicket vegetation, by planting spekboom in degraded zones.

Restoration of this veld type attracts back wildlife and creates opportunities for pastoralism, eco- tourism, game farming, and medicinal plant collection.

But besides these benefits, the equation that was being used to drive the project had a direct link to the smelter, Mills said.

Spekboom absorbs or sequesters about 10 tons of carbon dioxide per hectare per year from the atmosphere, returning it to soil and plant material.

Once production begins, Alcan's estimate is that the smelter will emit about 1 300 tons of CO² a year. The electricity deal signed in November commits Eskom to supply 1 355MVA, which translates into 1 100MW.

If the company uses this amount of power, "the resultant CO² emissions will be about 4,7 million tons of CO² a year, based on figures from the Eskom website," Mills said.

"On the assumption that restored thicket will sequester 10 tons of CO² per hectare per year, approximately half a million hectares of degraded thicket would need to be restored to neutralise these emissions. This restoration would cost in the order of R2-billion to R5-billion.

"What is important is that both (Alcan) and the public be aware of the figures and options, so each can decide what is acceptable."