Nordural Grundartangi Aluminium Smelter

The Project is a 260,000 ton per year aluminium smelter based on PB - VAW CA-180 technology; constructed in phases in the period of 1996-2007. This Project was conducted in the framework of HRV-Engineering, of which Mannvit owns a majority share and contributes key personnel resources along with Verkís.

Phase I included potline work with pot tending cranes with metal tapping capabilities, HV and rectifier equipment, one GTC, rodding shop, bath recycling plant, casthouse, alumina storage and transportation systems, one vacuum ship unloader and a 40,000 mt alumina storage silo, compressed air generation and distribution systems, maintenance facilities, warehouses and other general plant infrastructure.

During phase II the potline was expanded, increasing the metal production from 60,000 tpy to 90,000 tpy. It included additional casthouse equipment, pot re-lining facility and an extension of the alumina pot feeding system, compressed air system and other infrastructure.

During phase III  metal production was increased from 90,000 tpy to 180,000 tpy and consisted of a new potline based on the same pot technology, additional pot tending cranes and a new crane maintenance facility, HV equipment and rectifiers, one new GTC, rodding shop refurbishment, a new bath recycling plant, special buildings for cooling of spent anodes, casthouse extension, a 70,000 mt alumina storage silo, extension of alumina transport system, compressed air system and other plant infrastructure.

Phase IV and phase V consisted of further extension of the second potline and additional production capacity of 40,000 tpy each. These phases included further extension of alumina transport systems, one GTC for each phase, additional cooling building for spent anodes and an extension of compressed air system and general plant infrastructure.

Mannvit was also responsible for conducting an EIA and the preparation of an operation permit for a proposed expansion of the facility to 180,000 TPY and later for a further expansion up to 300,000 tpy. Through the years, Mannvit has been involved in numerous maintenance and improvement projects conducted at Norðurál - Century Aluminium's smelter in Grundartangi, Iceland.