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ALUMINIUM SMELTING INDUSTRY
AP6X – APXe platform
1 project Notice to Proceed on 14 December
2010 following completion of a comprehensive
feasibility and business evaluation study.
The Jonquiere project is to be constructed
in multiple phases to attain a production
level of 460,000 tpy. Phase 1 with a capacity
of 60,000 tpy capacity is the industrial and
commercial demonstration step. The goal is to
demonstrate, with the 38-pot section, a commercial
operating AP6X potroom, with all the
related logistics and operational challenges.
The first metal is planned for February
2013, and full production in May 2013.
This platform allows us not only to continuously
improve the AP6X pot in an industrial
and robust way, but also to develop and validate
other major improvements such as equipment
capabilities, pot oversuction using the
JIBS RTA-patented system, potroom ventilation,
industrial hygiene and environment performances,
and last but not least automation
and improved accuracy of the anode change
and positioning (‘best anode change’).
AP4X platform: The AP4X platform has
been developed according to the two same
Jonquiere project, potroom
streams: high productivity
and low energy.
This platform supports
the retrofit of existing
AP3X potlines, and
is also a solution for
smaller power blocks.
The two development
streams provide an optimised
solution suited
to each client with his
specific constraints.
The first version of
the AP4X Low Energy
has been developed in collaboration with the
Alouette smelter in Canada and the Saint Jean
de Maurienne smelter in France.
In Alouette [2] a two-year test period resulted
in the validation of a brownfield AP4X
Low Energy design capable of world-class environment
performance in terms of gas emission
and cell life. Rio Tinto Alcan is also currently
on its way to validating a 12.4 kWh/kg
AP4X technology by the end of 2013 in the
Saint Jean de Maurienne boosted section.
Global approach to a smelter
The conventional way of designing a smelter is
to consider the smelter as an assembly of process
shops linked by roads and logistics services.
This approach has not drastically changed in
the past decades, as we can see from the layouts
of the plants erected during this period.
If we change our outlook on smelters,
viewing them as global entities, then there are
new opportunities for improvement and cost
reduction. In addition to developing units, we
can deliver an improved global approach. This
new way of working has led not only to disruptive
innovations in the global management
and layout of smelters, but has also allowed
processes to be reviewed from this new viewpoint.
Some of the innovative solutions developed
using this global approach can also be
deployed in existing smelters.
From a sequential to an integrated design:
New reflections and action plans have been
implemented so as to manage a global approach
and to develop the required elements
accordingly. The construction of a global vision
of the smelter with clearly defined goals
has allowed us to challenge the conventional
‘silo’ approach and to combat the existing paradigms.
‘Open innovation’ is also a key pillar in
our approach, including as far as possible, the
technologies and solutions that can be transposed
from other industries or applications.
Global vision is a medium and long-term
vision resulting from the existing goals and
constraints, based on the aluminium industry
context. It is materialised in a holistic highlevel
roadmap, based on an e3 approach: ‘energy
efficiency’, ‘environment’ and ‘economy’,
with a high standard of health and safety. To
support this high level vision together with operational
goals and steps, we developed a multi-generation
plan, giving us previews of the
‘ideal’ new smelter over the coming decades,
and the steps in optimising existing assets.
Our conventional view of the smelter and
how we work were challenged in a variety of
ways. For example, if we compare the cost of
a smelter not shop by shop but per discipline
(concrete, electrical, structural, equipment,
etc.), we can see that the global building and
roads aspect is more expensive than all the
pots put together. Moreover, as this aspect is
not part of specific aluminium know-how, this
part can be improved with ‘open innovation’
and existing technologies and can be developed
quickly. To take the challenge further,
we can also compare some basic smelter data
such as the cubic metre of concrete or the
tonne of metallic structure to benchmark data
in other industries or applications, and then
analyse the gap and the reasons for the gap.
And finally, ‘open innovation’ starts – internally.
Integrated teams need not only development
people, but also production, HSE,
projects, engineering, business improvement
and procurement people. Such a team can
give a different approach and allow an efficient
challenge, finally leading to a global buy-in of
all the stakeholders in the chosen solutions.
External ‘open innovation’ can provide not
only technical ideas and solutions, but also
yield new methodologies and ways of working:
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