Hydro Aluminum North America's new remelt facility in Commerce TX is producing close to its target operating level of 90,000 metric tons of primary-quality billet generated with high scrap content.
Production started Nov 15, 2002, at the new facility. The $37- million investment is part of Hydro's strategy to meet North American aluminum billet demand by supplying billet based on recycled aluminum.
Hydro built the plant to better serve the southwestern aluminum market. Customers are primarily from transportation, building, and construction sectors in Texas. Up to 30-40 truckloads of scrap are now delivered to the plant daily.
The new facility uses only 5% of the energy consumed in typical primary aluminum production without any loss in quality.