The Aluminum Smelting Process at Alcoa Fjardaál

Alcoa Fjardaál, is the reason the Karahnjukar Dam was built. Aluminum smelting is an energy-intensive industry that requires a constant source of power. While the Karahnjukar Dam produces enough electricity to power every home and small business in Iceland, its only purpose is supply Alcoa Fjardaál with all the energy it needs.

The aluminum smelting process starts with hundreds of pots that contain ores of Bauxite. Large blocks of carbon, called anodes, and then placed on top of the Bauxite. An electric charge is send through the anode, which magnetizes the Bauxite and separates the aluminum metal from its oxide, alumina.

The liquid metal aluminum is transported to the casting house where it is made into blocks, sheets and cables.

The used anodes filled back up with carbon and used over again. The anodes can be used numerous times until they are spent and need to be disposed of.