Noranda Aluminum Holding Corp. announced that its New Madrid, Mo., aluminum smelter will return operations to full effective capacity, which includes the recall of 38 hourly employees for the restart of its third potline. In addition, the state of Missouri is moving forward with a planned $8 million economic development package to support Noranda’s employee training and capital investment initiatives at the smelter. Noranda previously announced plans to increase production at its alumina refinery in Gramercy, La., and at its bauxite mining operations in St. Ann, Jamaica.

The Gramercy alumina refinery supplies almost all of the alumina used at the New Madrid smelter. Production capacity of alumina at Gramercy is approximately 1.2 million metric tons, and production capacity at St. Ann is approximately 4.5 million metric tons. The ramp-up of production at both facilities is expected to be completed during the fourth quarter of 2009.