Brazilian judge announces that Hydro's injunction Alunorte will not be able to restore full production capacity

SMM11, 8 March: a federal judge in Brazil has upheld a state court's decision to limit the operation of Alunorte, the world's largest alumina refinery. According to a statement from the Office of the Prosecutor, the Alunorte aluminium smelter of Hydro, Norway, cannot use its newly produced waste pool until it has obtained an operating license. The plant must also continue to comply with a ruling that forces it to operate at 50 per cent of capacity. Earlier this year, heavy rain at smelters near the northern Brazilian city of Barcarena caused waste water to leak into the local water supply system, limiting production at the smelter. Hydro denied any leakage, adding that state and federal regulators agreed with the company's assessment. "the records show that the water body in Bakarena may have been polluted," Judge Arthur Pinheiro Chavez said in a statement. " Hydro had no immediate comment. The company said in an email that it had not yet obtained Tuesday's decision. The 50 per cent reduction in production at smelters limits the global supply of alumina. It has also affected the US market, which is expected to benefit from aluminum import tariffs set by the Trump administration. The company has also been hit by (Century Aluminum Co.), a century aluminium company, because of rising alumina prices The impact of the company inside. The Chicago-based company's shares have fallen 50% this year. Benchmark aluminium prices in London rose 2.2 per cent to close 1.8 per cent higher after the Alunorte announcement.