Aluminerie Alouette celebrates 30 years

SEPT-ÎLES, February 2, 2022 — Before an audience of over one hundred members of the region’s business community, Claude Gosselin, President and CEO of Aluminerie Alouette, presented an overview of a record-breaking year, ahead of the company’s 30-year anniversary. The Chambre de commerce de Sept-Îles-Uashat mak Mani-utenam and the Chambre de commerce de Port-Cartier hosted him during this anticipated virtual conference.

Mr. Gosselin began by recalling the long-standing partnership between the smelter, the community and its home port, which started even before the smelter launched its operations in 1992. That year, the company, still in its start-up phase, produced 73,800 tonnes of aluminum. Thirty years later, in 2021, we produced a record-breaking 627,628 tonnes of Sept-Îles aluminum. This achievement is even more remarkable given that the company also recorded the best health and safety performance of its history. “That record is the most important one for me and our shareholders,” said Mr. Gosselin. “I also want to thank all our employees and partners for their commitment to this goal.”

With its sight proudly set on the future, the Aluminerie Alouette team is already working to transform upcoming challenges into profitable opportunities. Despite the volatility of the aluminum market, prices are at an attractive level to invest in asset modernization, various system and equipment automation and artificial intelligence optimization. “Nearly 300 jobs will need to be filled in the next few years, and the next generation will bring new knowledge and skills that will help us build our future,” said Mr. Gosselin, specifically referring to concepts related to Industry 4.0. In 2022, investments of more than $90 million are already expected

Ambitious goal: Carbon neutrality by 2050 

One thing is clear: the future of the aluminum industry goes hand-in-hand with decarbonization. That is why Aluminerie Alouette aims to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, by reducing its emissions at source and compensating for its residual emissions. In 2021, the company met its target of 1.81 tonnes of CO₂ equivalent per tonne of aluminum. In Quebec, aluminum production generates six times less greenhouse gas than the world average, and at Alouette, it is even less! Aluminum, as a lightweight metal, is certainly part of the solution to climate change since it reduces the weight of vehicles—the main greenhouse gas emitters on the planet.

Key takeaways from the conference

Aluminerie Alouette produces 25% of all the aluminum in Quebec

• It is the largest smelter in the Americas, and the 22nd in the world
• Its headquarters and Executive Council are based in the Sept-Rivières regional county municipality
• It has 1,300 direct on-site jobs, with many First Nations employees
• It purchases $650 million of goods and services in Quebec annually, including $110 million in the regional county municipality
• It has more than 700 Quebec suppliers, with 300 in the Côte-Nord region alone