SMM, 21 May-Norwegian Hydro company (Norsk Hydro) said in a statement on its website that the Brazilian federal court in Belem lifted the production ban on the company's Alunorte alumina plant in criminal proceedings on May 20, local time. However, the court has not yet decided whether its bauxite tailings DRS2 can continue to mine.

Hydro said the resumption of Alunorte production would also lead to accelerated mining of its bauxite mines and increased production at its Albras electrolytic aluminum plant. Earlier, the federal court in Belem, Brazil, lifted a production ban on the company's Alunorte alumina plant on May 15 local time, a decision that came into effect in a civil lawsuit.

John Thuestad, vice president of Hydro's ore and alumina department, said that the lifting of the restrictions ensures that Alunorte can continue to operate safely, Hydro will also be able to regain the complete aluminum industry chain, and we will continue to ensure safety in production. Efforts have also been made to enable the new tailings to lift the mining ban as soon as possible.

Because the Brazilian court has not decided whether Hydro can continue to develop its bauxite tailings, DRS2, Hydro said in a statement that the Alunorte alumina plant will continue to mine the tailings DRS1 using state-of-the-art pressure filtration technology.

Event important Node Review:

February 16-17, 2018, Alunorte aluminum oxide plant located in Barcarena, Brazil, torrential rain, the local environmental protection authorities found that the plant concrete pipe damage caused by bauxite tailings leakage;

On 28 February 2018, the local court ordered the Alunorte alumina plant to reduce its production by 50 per cent and requested that the mining of the DRS2 tailings be immediately stopped and effective immediately on 1 March 2018;

On April 10, 2018, Hydro announced that its Albras electrolytic aluminum plant will reduce production by 50%, mainly because its alumina supply comes entirely from Alunorte;, which is limited in production.

On September 5, 2018, Hydro Alunorte signed an agreement, including the adjustment of operating technical terms and social commitment terms;

On October 3, 2018, Hydro announced that Alunorte would stop operation altogether because the government banned it from mining DRS2, in the new tailings and the mining life of DRS1 in the old area was about to reach the limit.

On October 9, 2018, Hydro announced that Alunorte would continue to operate at a 50 per cent operating rate;

From October 2018 to January 2019, the environmental protection departments of the local government in Brazil lifted the ban on mining and alumina production in Alunorte DRS2 mining area one after another.

On 12 April 2019, the Federal Court of the City of Bel é n, Brazil, held a hearing on the resumption of production at the Alunorte alumina plant, and the Procuratorate and the Alunorte submitted separate reports on their safe and normal operation, with the participation of third parties.

On 15 May 2019, the Federal Court of Belem, Brazil, lifted the production ban on the company's Alunorte alumina plant on 15 May local time, which entered into civil proceedings in this case.

SMM will continue to follow up.