This week, Alcoa Europe Vice President José Ramón Camino and Regional Minister of Economics and Industry Javier Guerra were on site during the installation of the first liquefied natural gas (LNG) storage tanks at the San Ciprian alumina complex.
The move to natural gas is the result of a joint effort by the Regional Minister of Economics and Industry and Alcoa for sustainable development. Start-up of this equipment is the first step in the progressive substitution of fuel oil for natural gas, which is expected to result in cost savings, and will end once the Mari?a pipeline, scheduled for 2013, becomes operational. In this first phase, using natural gas instead of fuel oil will result in an estimated annual 20,000 ton reduction of CO2 emissions.
“We anticipate significant environmental benefits with the change to natural gas,” said Camino. “Alcoa’s sustainability approach involves collaborating with key stakeholders to make decisions that are mutually beneficial to preserve our environment.”
LNG storage will supply about 8 percent of total consumption at the refinery. Currently, the alumina refinery consumes 300,000 tons of fuel oil per year.
Alcoa Spain is committed to sustainable development, energy efficiency and environmental performance. In 2008, Alcoa Spain was the first industrial company to sign an agreement with the Ministry of Environment and the Galician Regional Government (La Xunta) for the voluntary reduction of greenhouse gases. Similarly, investments in the factory have been directed towards improving the environmental performance of its production processes. The Alcoa San Ciprian plant is a world leader among the industrial sector in both environmental and occupational safety.
The Alcoa industrial complex at San Ciprian includes an alumina plant, a primary aluminum factory, and common services facilities. It has a production capacity of a million and a half tons of alumina per year, and another 250,000 tons of aluminum each year.
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