Alcoa closes Washington smelter

Pittsburgh-based Alcoa Corp. recently announced that it has closed its Intalco aluminum smelter in Washington State.

The smelter has been fully idle since the third quarter of 2020. It was idled because of high input costs and declining market conditions. It began operation in 1966 and employs 19 people.

When operational, the smelter had an annual capacity of 279,000 metric tons. Restarting the facility would have been too costly and would not be competitive in the long term. Its closing will bring Alcoa’s global capacity to 2.69 million metric tons, including 399,000 metric tons in the United States.

“The site is an important part of our history, and we are encouraged by the prospects for potential economic development via another entity that will own and control land at the site,” Alcoa President and CEO Roy Harvey said. “We will continue to engage with our stakeholders, including community members and government officials, as we make this transition.”

By permanently closing the site, Alcoa can begin the process of preparing the site for economic development. Some employees will remain to assist with closure-related activities that allow opportunities for future redevelopment.

AltaGas has acquired the rights to develop and own approximately 1,600 acres of the Intalco site, including transportation and utility infrastructure.