Sweden’s aluminium producer Norsk Hydro ASA announced this week a plan for NOK67 million (€6 million) in improvements to its aluminium extrusion plant in Lucé, France.
According to the firm, the capex project will include upgrades to the buildings, equipment, and infrastructure at the site, which currently employs around 160 individuals. Also included in the plan is a new employee development program.
The technical on-site refurbishments will cover several areas at the plant, including electrical equipment, mechanical equipment, hydraulic equipment, and buildings and infrastructure.
Roland Van der Aa, Vice President France for Hydro’s Extrusion Europe business unit, said in a press release that the capex project will propel the plant far forward in the industrial landscape.
“The Lucé plant has the people and the potential to become an industrial leader in the French landscape. The investment is going to improve the site’s ability to reach its potential.”
“We are also going to improve and accelerate our employee training program, for example, in maintenance and process control,” he continued.
The Lucé aluminium extrusion plant was commissioned in 1959 and has a nameplate recycling capacity of 62 thousand metric tons per year. The recycled aluminium ingot is sold to buyers in the building and construction, automotive, and transportation sectors.
Currently Hydro operates four extrusion plants in France, including plants at Albi, Châteauroux, and Puget-Sur-Argens. The plants are run by Hydro’s extrusion business, which offers custom aluminium components for customers in a wide range of sectors, principally automotive and mass transportation, building and construction, electronics, offshore, and maritime. Hydro Extrusions employs 21,000 individuals and boasts a book of business containing over 30,000 customers in 40 countries around the world.
