Alcoa's Leadership in Energy Efficiency Recognized by Hydro-Quebec

The Deschambault and Becancour plants are two of only five locations in Canada that have achieved Elite status.

Alcoa announced today that its three aluminum smelters in Quebec, Canada, have been recognized by Hydro-Quebec for their energy efficiency, and are members of the power company's select Energy Savers' Circle network.

Alcoa's Deschambault smelter was just raised to Elite status, having been a member of the Energy Savers' Circle since 2008, and the Baie-Comeau smelter was newly inducted into the Circle. Last year, the Becancour plant was named an Elite component of the Energy Savers' Circle. Furthermore, Alcoa's Deschambault and Becancour plants are two of only five locations designated Elite members because of their exceptional energy performance and are deemed ambassadors in energy efficiency.

"The distinction of having all of our Canadian smelters as members of Hydro-Quebec's Energy Savers' Circle crowns our employees' efforts in energy efficiency and clearly sets our commitment to sustainability," said Pierre Morin, President of Alcoa Global Primary Products Canada. "I congratulate the Energy Committees in our smelters and our employees who make a 'green' gesture every day, so that our facilities become a reference in energy efficiency."

-- Alcoa's Baie-Comeau aluminum smelter joined the Energy Savers' Circle by reducing its annual power consumption by more than 68 gigawatt-hours (GWh) through improved performance of its electrolytic cells and optimizing its compressed air system.

-- Deschambault was awarded Elite status after lowering its annual electricity use by more than 300 GWh --equivalent to the consumption of 18,000 Quebec households in a year.

-- Alcoa's Becancour smelter, the first Alcoa smelter to attain Elite status, reached new heights in effectiveness by accomplishing energy efficiency gains of more than 250 GWh. The smelter acted on its consumption of compressed air, motive power, heating and lighting of facilities, as well as power used for its electrolytic cells.

Between 2007-2010, Alcoa's Canadian smelters posted total cumulative energy efficiency gains of more than 600 GWh. In addition, both the Becancour and Deschambault facilities received awards for their energy efficiency initiatives in the 2011 Energia competition, organized by l'Association quebecoise pour la maitrise de l'energie (AQME).

To continue enhancement of its environmental balance sheet, Alcoa Global Primary Products Canada contributed to the establishment of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada/Alcoa Industrial Research Chair on Energy Efficiency and the Advanced Modeling of Aluminum Electrolysis Cells. The chair at Laval University in Quebec City, which has benefitted from the financial support and services of Alcoa and its global research fund, enables 40 students to develop technologies that reduce energy consumption and optimize the aluminum production process, thus reducing CO2 emissions.