Venezuelan state aluminum reducer Alcasa is producing about 250t/d, less than 50% of the 580t/d

Venezuelan state aluminum reducer Alcasa is producing about 250t/d, less than 50% of the 580t/d the company used to put out, a Sintralcasa union official told BNamericas.
"This is due to two situations that began months ago: The energy crisis that forced us to shut down two production lines and the lack of investments," the union official said.
Last December, Alcasa started the process of permanently shutting down and dismantling reduction lines 1 and 2 at its plants in compliance with the government-implemented power rationing program.
"The result is that only 231 cells of the original 684 installed are in operation," the official said, adding that the sharp drop in production has forced the company to import aluminum rods.
Alcasa may have to draw on the production of compatriot state reducer Venalum to obtain the aluminum needed to reactivate its rolled products area, Sintralcasa union official Carlos Gomez told BNamericas recently.
The Alcasa and Venalum plants are located in the Matanzas industrial zone in Puerto Ordaz city in eastern Venezuela's Guayana region. Both companies are controlled by state heavy industry holding CVG.
By Harvey Beltrán