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

[SMM Aluminum Alloy Daily Review] The ADC12 aluminum alloy market was in the doldrums overall today. As aluminum prices weakened, cost support loosened somewhat. Meanwhile, downstream demand remained sluggish, pre-holiday stockpiling fell short of expectations, and trading was sluggish, further suppressing upward momentum. Combined with an increase in low-priced supplies in the market and intensified competition among enterprises, the price center shifted slightly downward. In the short term, under the dual impact of weakening cost support and insufficient demand, ADC12 prices are expected to continue a fluctuating trend in the doldrums.

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.