Century Aluminum Sebree is set to close one of three potlines at its aluminium smelter in Sebree, Kentucky, US, by the end of December, cutting the facility’s annual capacity by 70,000t.

Each potline contains 128 aluminum pots. The company made the announcement in accordance with the federal Working Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (WARN).

Discover B2B Marketing That Performs

Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.

Find out more

Century issued a notice to 525 employees working at the smelter with regard to idling of the potline.

"This is a direct result of Chinese overcapacity and the improper export of heavily subsidised Chinese aluminium products that has caused the significant decline in the price."

Century Aluminum president and CEO Michael Bless said: "We regret issuing this notice and absolutely recognise the impact it will have on our employees, in our community and with our customers.

"This is a direct result of Chinese overcapacity and the improper export of heavily subsidised Chinese aluminium products that has caused the significant decline in the price of aluminium."

Century said it is working with the industry and the US Government to address this immediately.

GlobalData Strategic Intelligence

US Tariffs are shifting - will you react or anticipate?

Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard. Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis.

By GlobalData

The Sebree facility is 100%-owned and operated through Century Aluminum, and produces approximately 210,000mt of aluminium at full capacity.

The smelter began operations in 1973 and has created more ten billion pounds of aluminium since then.

In October, Century Aluminum of South Carolina announced its proposal to cut plant operations in case the smelter fails to secure a competitively priced power arrangement to deliver energy to the plant.

Mining Technology Excellence Awards - Nominations Closed

Nominations are now closed for the Mining Technology Excellence Awards. A big thanks to all the organisations that entered – your response has been outstanding, showcasing exceptional innovation, leadership, and impact

Excellence in Action
Recognised with the Research & Development Award , Nokia’s Cognitive Digital Mine uses AI, IoT and digital twin technology to deliver predictive, self-optimising mining operations. Learn how Nokia’s Digital Twin Black Box is enabling safer, more efficient and more profitable mines worldwide.

Discover the Impact