LATEST NEWS 
Trade Contracting
December 19, 2006
$1.8B for Alcan plant expansions
SAGUENAY, Que.
Aluminum giant Alcan Inc. is investing US$1.8 billion over 10 years in Quebec’s Saguenay-Lac-St-Jean area to expand its smelter operations.
The company said 740 highly skilled jobs will be created over the period, as well as between 1,200 and 1,500 related to construction of the new metal capacity.
The cornerstone of the investment is a US$550-million pilot plant at the company’s Complexe Jonquiere site to develop Alcan’s AP50 smelting technology, which increases productivity and cuts industrial emissions.
The AP50 pilot plant is the initial step in creating up to 450,000 tonnes of new metal production capacity, based on hydroelectricity which will help cut greenhouse gas emissions.
Alcan acquired the AP50 smelting technology from its acquisition of France’s Pechiney group more than two years ago. AP50 uses more electrical power in the smelting process and provides for lower capital spending, operating costs and emissions.
However, it requires more electricity, which Alcan has secured with deals to get an additional 225 megawatts of power beginning in 2010 and extension of current energy and power contracts with Hydro-Quebec from 2023 to 2045.
CANADIAN PRESS
| MOST POPULAR STORIES |
- Police probe death at York Street construction site
- Ontario’s apprentice ratio dispute continues to be split along union, non-union lines
- Hard Rock contracting companies fined over worker injuries
- Early LEED advocates were ‘pioneers,’ ACEC president says
- Two Ontario firms win Canadian Architect Awards of Excellence
- 20 Most Popular Stories
| CURRENT STORIES |
- EllisDon keeps moving up at the Ritz-Carlton
- Insulation association lobbies for inclusion of best practices in National Building Code
- AGC survey finds two-thirds of U.S. non-residential construction companies plan layoffs in 2009
- Bulldozer fatality halts work at Anatolia Minerals’ Copler gold project
- Canadian economy heads south for the winter
- Homicide charge laid in N.Y. crane collapse
- McKay-Cocker chooses Viewpoint software to integrate operations
- Great Lands digs deep at the Mona Lisa
- U.S. investors drop stakes in proposed TransCanada pipeline
- Aecon named one of Canada’s 10 Best Employers
- Solar module maker Day4 Energy lays off 95 workers
| ALEX’S BLOG |
Reed Construction Data Chief Economist Alex Carrick discusses current developments in Canada's economic environment. He also shares light-hearted reflections on life and current events.
Economics Blog More 
- Spotting the U.S. and Canadian Recoveries – Earliest Indicators (January 6, 2009)
- TYBA Projects (January 5, 2009)
- Ottawa’s Spending and Canada in Afghanistan (December 30, 2008)
Lifestyle Blog More
- The Perils of Driving in the White Stuff (December 29, 2008)
- Economics Humour – Take my Dismal Science, Please (December 22, 2008)
| PROJECT NEWS BRIEFS |
Updates on Canadian construction projects from Reed Construction Data’s research team. More
- Vanbots begins work on Thompson Rivers University’s House of Learning (Jan 6, 2009)
- City of Thompson plans new water treatment plant (Dec 30, 2008)
- Quadrangle Architects begins working drawings for new phase of Downtown Markham development (Dec 16, 2008)
- Designs for new Corrections Canada office set to begin (Dec 15, 2008)
- Haastown Holdings ready to accept subtrade pricing for Waterscape phase one (Dec 15, 2008)
