Rio Tinto Alcan will invest $37 million to improve the electrode department at the Sebree aluminum smelter in Kentucky. The project will include installation of a new bake furnace for the fabrication of anode blocks for the smelter's potlines. As a result, the facility will be able to operate at its current capacity for the next 15-20 years. The investment project, which is expected to be complete by August, will also help retain the jobs of nearly 500 employees.
The anode bake furnace will be utilized to bake 1,600-pound green anodes that are used in the aluminum smelting process. This project is the second, larger phase of a total revitalization of the bake furnace area at the Sebree smelter and will complete the replacement process. The first phase was completed last year.