The Terrace Standard Wednestay. September 6 6, 2006 - B5

Tet pememe ee

| Alcan, B B.C. _have long aera ery

IN 1950, the’province and Alcan Alumi- num Ltd. signed an agreement (the 1950 Agreement) allowing Alcan to divert water out of the Nechako watershed to generate hydroelectric power at the Ke- mano Generating Station. Alcan relies on Kemano to supply the aluminum smelter at Kitimat.

Under current operations, approxi- mately 75 per cent of all Kemano power is for the Alcan smelter. in Kitimat. After the smelter modernization is completed, Virtually all the firm energy from Ke-'

‘mano will be committed to the upgraded —

Kitimat smelter, with ‘smelter first’ pro-! ‘ visions to ensure fewer production cur-

It takes power and pots J to produce aluminum =

‘tailments. All surplus power will be sold to > BC Hydro to supply electricity to Kitimat

business, residences, and other commu-.

nities.

Alcan’s Kemano power station is the only major power facility in northwestern B.C. and has been an important resource for BC Hydro for over 50 years.

Alcan has sold power that is surplus to

its smelter requirements since, the 1950s

when the area was lied into BC Hydro’ $ power grid.

Going back to 1992, Alcan, on aver- age, has used approximately 75. per cent

proximately 25 per cent has been Sold.

All the surplus power Alcan currently ,

sells is purchased by BC Hydro under a long-term agreement and, depending on water.and market conditions, by BC Hydro’s wholly-owned subsidiary, Pow- erex.

These purchases benefit all B.C. fate- payers, including the neighbouring com-

munities from Prince Rupert. to Vander-

hoof that utilize this electricity.

In 1997, the previous government negotiated a power agreement with Al- can, the Replacement Electricity Supply

: Agreement, which could have required of Kemano power for the smelter and AP-

.the province to. provide electricity at_

prices less than the cost of production, if Alcan constructed a new smelter that

required more power than is Produced at

Kemano. - With the. smelter Alcan is proposing to build, this power will not be required and taxpayers will no longer be exposed to this potential expense, which was es- timated in the hundreds of millions of dollars.

To help meet B.C.'s growing clec- tricity needs, Alcan and BC Hydro have

agreed to amend ‘aid extend an existing power purchase | agreement - the Long:

Term Electricity, Purchase, Agreement

(LTEPA) - so that BC Hydro will have

“access to power in excess of Alcan’s

smelter needs. Under ‘this commercial agreement, while the smelter modernization is oc-

‘curring, an additional firm power quan- ‘tity of 30 MW will be available for pur-

chase by BC Hydro, resulting in a total of 170 MW, to be delivered from 2007 to 2009: and 80 to 120 MW of power to be

delivered between 2010 and 2014 - yall at

competitive pricing. In terms of what that power means, consider the following:

The general rile is that | megawatt iss

enough power for 1,000 homes. oO

Cont’d Page B3

; ALUMINUM IS produced by the electrolytic reduction*of alumina through a process known as the Hall- Heroult Pro- cess.

“In this process, an electric current breaks down the alumi- na, causing the aluminum and oxygen molecules to separate. This reaction takes place in large cells or “pots”, through which an electrical current is passed. -

The bottom and sides of each pot act as the cathode or negative eléctrode and contain the molten bath, composed mostly of cryolite and aluminum fluoride, in which the alu-

- mina is dissolved.’

Carbon blocks suspended just above the cathode, serve as the anode or positive electrode. When the electrical current passes through the mixture, flowing from the anode to the cathode, the molten aluminum molecules settle to the bot- tom of the “pot” while. the oxygen combines with the carbon of the anode.

ALCAN

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The’ carbon anode is continuously depleted by the reac-~ ‘tion and must be replaced, The molten aluminum deposited at the bottom of the * ‘pot” is removed regularly using a vac-"

uum siphon.

‘ It-is then transferred 'to a holding furnace where it is : al- - loyed, fluxed and degassed to remove trace impurities. From the holding furnace, ‘the aluminum is cast in different shapes ~

depending on end use and customer requirements.

There are two different technologies of the Hall- Heroult process. Soderberg technology (originally used in Kitimat).

“Creates and Bakes” the anodes in place in each pot.

- The tops of the pots are uncovered and the sides, although normally closed, must be opened regularly for variety of pro- cess oper ations. Prebake technology “creates and bakes” the anodes in a separate facility. The pots are totally enclosed and most process operations occur without opening the pot enclosure. =

Phone 635-4295 or

Toll Free 1-800-487-1216 www.hawkair.ca_

Electrolytic cells, or “pots’ Each of the smelter’s 15 potroom buildings house 60 pots.

| - Is Proud To Serve 7 The North & Proud To

Congratulate Alcan On Their —

$2 Billion Expansion Project

ine the walls of the potroom building at Kitimat Works. FILE PHOTO |

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