ALRO SA celebrating 55th Anniversary – a journey from 8,000tpa electrolytic aluminium to diversified product portfolio

ALRO S.A., one of the largest vertically integrated aluminium producers in Europe, is reportedly celebrating its 55th anniversary by being committed to the employees, partners, and clients for over the last five decades and standing as one of the strong pillars for the Romanian economy all through the years.

ALRO started operating in 1965 and now has two divisions – primary and processed aluminium. After constantly advancing its technologies, ALRO has reached a production capacity of 265,000 tonnes of electrolytic aluminium per annum, while its cast-house capacity has reached 325,000 tonnes per annum. In a year, the company produces 100,000 tonnes of flat-rolled aluminium.

ALRO has invested more than US$ 7000 million since privatization in technology and environmental protection.

'The modernization of facilities and the implementation of innovative technologies have led to notable achievements. An example is that the production of electrolytic aluminium made until 1989 can be done now with only half of the means of production we had available then, at a much lower cost and with greater care for the environment', said Gheorghe DOBRA, CEO of ALRO Slatina.

ALRO’s efforts over the past five decades have been acknowledged by certifications like NADCAP, EN 9100 and ISO 9001 for quality laboratory.

Gheorghe DOBRA added, 'Investments in production capacity, in efficiently utilizing our resources and in employee training are part of the company's culture and can be easily recognized in our portfolio of value-added products, in our patents, in the certifications obtained, and in the trust we enjoy from partners and customers.'

From the initial days of 8,000 tonnes per annum electrolytic aluminium production capacity, ALRO has now come a long way with diversified product portfolio, represented by 83,000 tonnes of high value-added products produced in 2019 for more sophisticated industries, such as automotive and aerospace.

ALRO has constantly implemented energy efficiency programmes and applied circular economy principles in business. It has increased the quantities of aluminium scrap recycled and re-melted, having an Eco-Recycling facility with a capacity of 35,000 tonnes.

The company’s turnover has stabilised in recent years at more than US$600 million. It now has 4,000 direct employees and more than 20,000 jobs that indirectly depend on AlRO Group’s activity and the aluminium industry. ALRO’s contributions to the central and local budgets amounted to nearly RON 130 million (US$30 million) in 2019.

At the beginning of the current health crisis caused by the COVID-19, ALRO recognised its responsibility towards the local community and supported community actions to prevent the effects of the pandemic. It donated RON 400,000 to the Slatina County Emergency Hospital, RON 25,000 to the Romanian Red Cross, Olt, RON 18,000 to the International Police Association of Romania, Olt, and RON 30,000 to Bucharest Fundeni Hospital for the acquisition of testing equipment for medical staff and patients.