Century Aluminum Company is expanding its worldwide capacity. The company restarted production at two of its aluminum smelting facilities in the U.S. and Iceland.
Expanded U.S. Capacity
Century produced the first hot metal at its plant in Mt. Holly, S.C., following its recent expansion project. This major expansion will increase total U.S. primary aluminum production by 10%, increasing Century’s leading position as the largest producer of primary aluminum in the U.S. Already, the project has created over 125 good-paying jobs in South Carolina.
“We’re so proud to be doing our part to increase domestic production of this critical mineral and expand on our position as the largest producer of primary aluminum in the United States,” said Jesse Gary, president and CEO of Century Aluminum. “President Trump’s Section 232 aluminum tariff is driving record investment in American aluminum production. The case for domestic production is stronger than ever, with supply chain disruptions abroad again demonstrating the need for a resilient domestic supply of this critical metal that is essential to U.S. economic and national security.”
The company expects to reach full production at Mt. Holly by the end of June 2026.
In addition to the Mt. Holly expansion project, Century announced in January that it would join forces with Emirates Global Aluminum to build the first primary aluminum smelter in the U.S. in nearly 50 years. The new Oklahoma-based smelter will add another 750,000 tonnes of primary aluminum production, doubling current U.S. capacity. It is expected to be the largest single investment in the production of a critical metal in U.S. history and will add over 1,000 direct jobs and 4,000 construction jobs.
Iceland Production Restart
Century also restarted production in the second potline at its Norðurál smelter in Grundartangi, Iceland, several months earlier than planned.
“We’re proud of our Grundartangi team, who worked tirelessly to resume production under difficult circumstances,” said Gary. “The team demonstrated resolve and resilience in undertaking repairs to resume production faster. Coupled with our recent production expansion at Mt. Holly, Grundartangi’s restart reinforces Century’s commitment to meeting our customers’ needs with the urgency the marketplace demands.”
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. Potline two represents about two-thirds of the plant’s total capacity. The restart comes after specialists, collaborating with the designers and the manufacturer of the equipment, made repairs to the transformers following an unanticipated failure. Permanent replacement transformers have been ordered and will be installed upon expected delivery this fall.