Century Aluminum Restarts Second Potline in Iceland, Boosting Output Ahead of Schedule

According to the official website of Century Aluminum，Century Aluminum Company restarted production this week in the second potline at its Norðurál smelter in Grundartangi, Iceland, several months earlier than planned. Employees energized the first pots in Grundartangi’s second potline and will continue restarting the remaining pots on an accelerated schedule to reach close to full production by the end of July. In October 2025, the second potline at the smelter was shut down due to a malfunction, involving capacity of approximately 210,000 mt. The original plan was to resume production after 11-12 months, i.e., an expected resumption from September to October 2026. This production resumption is approximately 7-8 months ahead of the original plan.

Aluminium Dunkerque has launched its high-purity aluminium product CrystAl, expanding into high value-added materials. Initial production has reached 4N purity, with a target up to 4N6, serving markets such as metal powders, electronic materials, semiconductors and capacitors. The product is produced in sows and ingots, with current capacity at around 200 tonnes per year, expected to scale up to 3,000 tonnes by 2028–2029. The company said the project combines metallurgical expertise and low-carbon aluminium to provide stable supply for advanced materials and strengthen its competitiveness in high-purity aluminium.

The 2025 annual report of Yongzhen Technology indicated that PV frames are high-value auxiliary materials for modules, accounting for approximately 14% of PV module costs. Driven by the development goals of "cost reduction" and "efficiency improvement," module producers have continuously explored frame alternatives using other materials. However, aluminum alloy materials have dominated the market thanks to their advantages such as low density, ease of strengthening, high electrical conductivity, suitability for grounding, good plasticity, strong corrosion and oxidation resistance after surface treatment, long life, excellent metallic appearance, and ease of recycling. According to data from the *China PV Industry Roadmap, 2025-2026*, aluminum frames held a 93% market share in 2025.