Expansion plans at GFG Alliance’s Locabher Aluminium smelter boost employment opportunities

In November’20, the £94 million investment and expansion plans announced by Alvance British Aluminium’s owners GFG Alliance, at its Locabher aluminium smelter in Fort William, which is encouraging up to 70 new jobs, while 20-25 jobs already created in the first three years of its acquisition.

In the first instance, it was consecrated for aluminium alloy wheel production, however, the expectation of £120 million injection with 300 jobs faded due to the plunge in demand in the automotive sector.

The plans were then given a second thought to develop a plant for casting blocks of aluminium termed as billets to supply for the UK construction sector, with the prospect of a water canning facility also to come on the smelter site.

Planners said: “The site proposed is similar to that of the alloy wheel plant granted in 2018, but with differences to the south-east and north boundary, and no longer an access link to the Glen Nevis business park.”

“The 64-acre site is to the immediate south and west of the existing smelter and will use the existing site access. Primary aluminium from the smelter and secondary aluminium brought in will be melted and cast in a building of more than 107,000 sq ft. The billets produced will be of different specifications, sizes and lengths.”

A large area of hard standing is proposed to store the billets for transportation, and landscaping, planting and drainage are also part of the plans, while to support the expansion ABA is also proposing significant development to the nearby port of Corpach to speed up material flow.

As the smelting processes already generated by GFG Alliance’s zero-emission hydro-electric power, the addition of recycling and expansion into “sustainably produced” billets is predicted to drive ABA a competitive advantage as demand for ‘green” aluminium’ surges.

Alvance British Aluminium stated that subject to approvals and any further impact from the pandemic; it expects to start the new development in 2021, focusing to be fully operative by 2024.

On 3^rd February 2021 the meeting to be held by Highland Council’s south planning councillors to discuss the early plans for the facility and post the consultation phase, the proposal will move ahead for full planning approval.

The approval can safeguard around 200 existing jobs, while the developments are expected to secure the long-term future of the smelter.

Sanjeev Gupta, Executive Chairman, GFG Alliance said: “The plan underlines the group’s commitment to investing in Scotland.”

“The new facilities, alongside the Lochaber hydro-plant, will create market-leading green aluminium products that deliver for the environment as well as the economy.”

Alvance aluminium announced a public consultation on the plans will be made in the coming weeks.