VIP EXPERIENCE : Alouette Aluminium Plant
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DURATION: 3 h 30CAPACITY / DEPARTURE: 48 PAX
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AVERAGE INTERVAL OF DEPARTURES: 1 h 30TRANSPORT: BUS
Open since 1992, Aluminerie Alouette is a state-of-the-art and environment-respectful facility.
The electrolytic process for producing aluminum from alumina was discovered by Hall and Héroult in 1886. In Canada, aluminum has been produced industrially for over a hundred years. Potential applications for the metal abound in a variety of areas, given aluminum’s unique combination of useful properties. It is resistant to corrosion in many environments, lightweight, an excellent conductor of heat and electricity, ductile and recyclable. Thanks to these properties, aluminum has a bright future ahead!
Since the 1960s, global aluminum production has grown by a million tons every 20 months. This shows how much the grey metal has become part of our daily lives.
Used aluminum isn’t waste. It’s a valuable raw material that can be used again and again. Without a doubt, one of the most attractive things about aluminum is its recycling potential. Everything made of aluminum can be recycled almost indefinitely. This means that products like aluminum beverage cans, pie plates, outdoor furniture and window frames can all have a second or even a third life, following remelting and remanufacturing. The amount of energy required to produce remelt aluminum is reduced by over 90%, with a corresponding reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.
Aluminerie Alouette, with more than 1,000 employees and an annual production capacity of over 600,000 tons, is the largest employer in Sept-Îles and the leading aluminum smelter in the Americas. The tour starts with a video presentation followed by a comprehensive tour explaining each stage of aluminum manufacturing from the raw materials (bauxite ore) to the finished product—aluminum ingots.