£94 million investment Fort William Aluminium

[furnessvale]

Alvance, the owners of the aluminium smelter, have announced a £94 million investment in the plant doubling output.

ALVANCE Aluminium announces expansion plans for its Fort William operations | ALVANCE Aluminium Group

ALVANCE to invest in a new recycling and casting facility in Fort William, Scotland taking its aluminium production to 80ktpa

alvancealuminiumgroup.com

"ALVANCE Aluminium, a member of Sanjeev Gupta’s sustainable industry leader GFG Alliance, has today announced a £94m investment package to secure Fort William’s future as a GREENALUMINIUM hub.


ALVANCE will invest in a new recycling and casting facility that will take aluminium production at its Fort William plant from just over 40,000 tonne per annum (ktpa) to 80ktpa. The new facility will produce 80ktpa of long, round shapes (“billets”) for the domestic construction sector which currently relies heavily on imports. To support the developments ALVANCE is also proposing significant upgrades to the nearby port of Corpach to improve efficiency of material flow."

On the face of it this sounds good for railfreight. However, the plans include upgrading Corpach port to improve logistics. Perversely, instead of increasing opportunities for railfreight this could actually remove the existing alumina traffic to short sea shipping.

 

[mwmbwls]

But they are also expanding the use of recycled aluminium - its a long truck haul to Fort William so rail might be a possibility. Are there other regular scrap metal workings elsewhere on the UK network?

 

[furnessvale]

But they are also expanding the use of recycled aluminium - its a long truck haul to Fort William so rail might be a possibility. Are there other regular scrap metal workings elsewhere on the UK network?

I am anticipating more than just alumina using the improved port.

The major scrap aluminium move by rail appears to be from Widnes to Germany, returning with ingots. Who knows, this could transfer to Corpach, by rail or sea, in the future. Hopefully, Corpach WILL generate more rail movements to inland destinations.

 

[Cheshire Scot]

I am anticipating more than just alumina using the improved port.

The major scrap aluminium move by rail appears to be from Widnes to Germany, returning with ingots. Who knows, this could transfer to Corpach, by rail or sea, in the future. Hopefully, Corpach WILL generate more rail movements to inland destinations.

This is of course the Fort William aluminium works, it is the port facilities which will be in Corpach.

The irony is the Aluminium company used to have their own pier in Fort William connected to the works by a narrow gauge railway until (I think) the 1960s.

It is probably too much to hope for rail transport between the works in Fort William and the quay at Corpach (which I assume will a development of the facilities on the previously rail connected former Paper Mill site rather than the confined canal basin). Multiple road movements through the village of Corpach and into the outskirts of Fort William on the A82 via the busy junction at Lochy Bridge is not an attractive prospect.

 

[ABB125]

I am anticipating more than just alumina using the improved port.

The major scrap aluminium move by rail appears to be from Widnes to Germany, returning with ingots. Who knows, this could transfer to Corpach, by rail or sea, in the future. Hopefully, Corpach WILL generate more rail movements to inland destinations.

The question I have is why can't the scrap aluminium be processed in Britain? Do we lack the facilities to do so?

 

[eldomtom2]

According to Wikipedia, the Lochaber Narrow Gauge Railway lasted until 1977.

 

[Cheshire Scot]

According to Wikipedia, the Lochaber Narrow Gauge Railway lasted until 1977.

The Upper Works Railway outlasted the Pier Railway by a number of years.

 

[Bald Rick]

It is probably too much to hope for rail transport between the works in Fort William and the quay at Corpach (which I assume will a development of the facilities on the previously rail connected former Paper Mill site rather than the confined canal basin). Multiple road movements through the village of Corpach and into the outskirts of Fort William on the A82 via the busy junction at Lochy Bridge is not an attractive prospect.

It’s four miles. 80k tonnes of aluminium production would need twice that in alumina, clearly less if scrap is incoming too. At the most that would be a train every other day, more likely twice a week, for an 8 mile round trip. The economics for rail (and by extension the plant) would be appalling. Alternatively, 2 trucks could cover it with a return trip every two hours each.

 

[InOban]

The current alumina train runs just twice a week, I believe. The only way rail held on to the traffic, which was under threat of transferring to sea with trucks from Corpach, was to double the train length. The only passing loop long enough for the train is Crianlarich I think.

 

[furnessvale]

The current alumina train runs just twice a week, I believe. The only way rail held on to the traffic, which was under threat of transferring to sea with trucks from Corpach, was to double the train length. The only passing loop long enough for the train is Crianlarich I think.

This is where my concern starts. Improved port facilities at Corpach, coupled with increased alumina requirements could well tip the balance in favour of short sea.

 

[hwl]

The question I have is why can't the scrap aluminium be processed in Britain? Do we lack the facilities to do so?

Aluminium (and alloys), Aluminium scrap and Aluminium recycling is a bit more complex that steel (with steel the only problem outside nuclear uses is removing copper if required (from car wiring etc), with aluminium alloys removing some of the elements is much harder e.g. Mg and Si which are in there deliberately in the previous incarnation). The aluminium supply chain is also a lot more restricted by end product market and further processors for a number of reasons.
In the Aluminium industry you effectively have 4 main alloy streams as regards new/scrap starting material:
1. Near pure Aluminium e.g. foil very difficult to use scrap and not a huge market
2. Casting alloys - can only be recycled into other castings
3. Can alloys - usually recycled into new cans (closed-ish loop)
4. Medium /high strength alloys 2xxx, 6xxx, 7xxx mostly recyclable into new alloys in these families (still some issues but can be resolved with diluting with new pure Aluminium), can alloys and foil type scrap can easily be used too.

Then you have 3 main product stream groups: castings, rolling and forging /extrusion

Hence for the smelter what the scrap is and their product / end customer combination is matters hence it is very unlikely that most high end economies can reuse all scrap type within the country*. hence in Europe there may only be one supplier of the alloys and product type a customer wants (particularity sheet as the rolling mills are $bn investments) but for some alloy / products there may be several in a country (e.g. 6082 extrusion billets).

I'd expect the extra Lochaber production and scrap usage to be going into the 4th category of products, given the owner, products produced and their customers.

* Probably only US, Canada**, Germany, France, Switzerland**, Norway**, Korea, Japan and China can, they also hoover up a lot of scrap from other countries too.
**Due to massive cheap hydro power availability

We (UK) are actually a huge exporter of scrap steel as we can't recycle lots of that either (need to invest in lots of electric arc furnaces, the UK and many other countries (US, France, Belgium, Spain, we aren't alone) spend way to many years focusing on trying to become massive exporter of primary steel). Italy is one of the few countries that is an effective steel recycler.

 

[SteveM70]

The only passing loop long enough for the train is Crianlarich I think.

Surely that’s only true were it to be required to cross another train that was also longer than the other loops? If not, the train it’s crossing can be stood in the loop and the longer train pass through on the other line?

 

[furnessvale]

Surely that’s only true were it to be required to cross another train that was also longer than the other loops? If not, the train it’s crossing can be stood in the loop and the longer train pass through on the other line?

Correct. However there is also a way of trains of infinite length passing each other by splitting and shunting about. It used to be done years ago in the USA but probably not today. Quite fascinating to watch illustrations of it. I will see if I can find a link.

 

[ABB125]

Aluminium (and alloys), Aluminium scrap and Aluminium recycling is a bit more complex that steel (with steel the only problem outside nuclear uses is removing copper if required (from car wiring etc), with aluminium alloys removing some of the elements is much harder e.g. Mg and Si which are in there deliberately in the previous incarnation). The aluminium supply chain is also a lot more restricted by end product market and further processors for a number of reasons.
In the Aluminium industry you effectively have 4 main alloy streams as regards new/scrap starting material:
1. Near pure Aluminium e.g. foil very difficult to use scrap and not a huge market
2. Casting alloys - can only be recycled into other castings
3. Can alloys - usually recycled into new cans (closed-ish loop)
4. Medium /high strength alloys 2xxx, 6xxx, 7xxx mostly recyclable into new alloys in these families (still some issues but can be resolved with diluting with new pure Aluminium), can alloys and foil type scrap can easily be used too.

Then you have 3 main product stream groups: castings, rolling and forging /extrusion

Hence for the smelter what the scrap is and their product / end customer combination is matters hence it is very unlikely that most high end economies can reuse all scrap type within the country*. hence in Europe there may only be one supplier of the alloys and product type a customer wants (particularity sheet as the rolling mills are $bn investments) but for some alloy / products there may be several in a country (e.g. 6082 extrusion billets).

I'd expect the extra Lochaber production and scrap usage to be going into the 4th category of products, given the owner, products produced and their customers.

* Probably only US, Canada**, Germany, France, Switzerland**, Norway**, Korea, Japan and China can, they also hoover up a lot of scrap from other countries too.
**Due to massive cheap hydro power availability

We (UK) are actually a huge exporter of scrap steel as we can't recycle lots of that either (need to invest in lots of electric arc furnaces, the UK and many other countries (US, France, Belgium, Spain, we aren't alone) spend way to many years focusing on trying to become massive exporter of primary steel). Italy is one of the few countries that is an effective steel recycler.

Thanks, very interesting.

 

[Wynd]

It’s four miles. 80k tonnes of aluminium production would need twice that in alumina, clearly less if scrap is incoming too. At the most that would be a train every other day, more likely twice a week, for an 8 mile round trip. The economics for rail (and by extension the plant) would be appalling. Alternatively, 2 trucks could cover it with a return trip every two hours each.

As appalling and living up there with that road infrastructure and having to endure huge trucks trundling along the roads every 2 hours?

I see what you are pointing to, but there are other higher aims to strive for, like removing freight from the roads.

 

[2392]

But they are also expanding the use of recycled aluminium - its a long truck haul to Fort William so rail might be a possibility. Are there other regular scrap metal workings elsewhere on the UK network?

T.J. Thompson beside Stockton Station used to operate a "scrap train" supplying Redcar Steelworks. That is until the Steelworks was closed, Thompsons' soldiered on for a few years before pulling out of the scrap metal business. Was also quite interesting passing on the train as they scrapped quite a selection of locomotives and wagons over the years. Having said that, you could see the writing was on the wall as the mini mountains of scrap metal, were getting progressively smaller as time went by........

 

[InOban]

True. In fact both trains have to stop because the RETB doesn't at present allow exchange on the fly. If you look at the path on RTT you will see quite how long the train takes between FW and central Scotland. The sawmill would like to make much more use of the railway to export product, but a truck can get there and back in much less time than the train would take to get there.

 

[Bald Rick]

As appalling and living up there with that road infrastructure and having to endure huge trucks trundling along the roads every 2 hours?

I see what you are pointing to, but there are other higher aims to strive for, like removing freight from the roads.

Indeed, and it is far better to achieve those ‘higher aims’ by deploying the railways resources in other places.

 

[paul1609]

The current alumina train runs just twice a week, I believe. The only way rail held on to the traffic, which was under threat of transferring to sea with trucks from Corpach, was to double the train length. The only passing loop long enough for the train is Crianlarich I think.

What about Glen Douglas? I think that's as long but not sure about the positioning of the stop boards.

 

[InOban]

you may be right.

 

[Wynd]

Indeed, and it is far better to achieve those ‘higher aims’ by deploying the railways resources in other places.

Id make the argument that its a certain way of thinking that has led to drastic declines in rail fright flows over the years, when you exclude the competition aspect, which is my original point.

Taking that perspective, (excluding pure profit motive) it matters far less where you start reintroducing rail freight, all that matters is that you start.

Demand comes from both ends of the chain.

 

[Pinza-C55]

As appalling and living up there with that road infrastructure and having to endure huge trucks trundling along the roads every 2 hours?

I see what you are pointing to, but there are other higher aims to strive for, like removing freight from the roads.

Of course then you have a trade off between the so called "Green policy" of getting traffic off the roads and pure economics. It will be interesting to see which side wins.

 

[Richard P]

The Aluminium train runs in both directions twice a week, Monday through Thursday although it is also timetabled to run on Fridays and Saturdays but only ever does if operations early in the week get cancelled
Corpach did of course have a rail link until relatively recently so it could I am sure be reinstated with limited cost and disruption. Irony is the port at Corpach seems busier now with logs than it has been in a long time which means actually the A82 in already inundated with logging trucks. A drive a few weeks ago between Oban and Fort William resulted in me counting 54 trucks pass me heading south in the hour it took me to get to Fort William. Despite this there seems no appetite to put log trains back on the West Highland line

 

[ABB125]

The Aluminium train runs in both directions twice a week, Monday through Thursday although it is also timetabled to run on Fridays and Saturdays but only ever does if operations early in the week get cancelled
Corpach did of course have a rail link until relatively recently so it could I am sure be reinstated with limited cost and disruption. Irony is the port at Corpach seems busier now with logs than it has been in a long time which means actually the A82 in already inundated with logging trucks. A drive a few weeks ago between Oban and Fort William resulted in me counting 54 trucks pass me heading south in the hour it took me to get to Fort William. Despite this there seems no appetite to put log trains back on the West Highland line

Are the logs being delivered by road to Corpach, or from the port? Either way, where is it the boats go to/from? If it's somewhere rail connected (or with the potential for a rail connection) then it would perhaps be a good candidate for rail, so long as the volume is sufficient.

On a totally different note, are the pipes running up Ben Nevis above the aluminium plant part of a hydropower system? If so, where is the water source on the mountain? There's only one loch on the mountain that I can see on Google maps, but the pipes give the impression that they are going to bypass it.

 

[paul1609]

Are the logs being delivered by road to Corpach, or from the port? Either way, where is it the boats go to/from? If it's somewhere rail connected (or with the potential for a rail connection) then it would perhaps be a good candidate for rail, so long as the volume is sufficient.

On a totally different note, are the pipes running up Ben Nevis above the aluminium plant part of a hydropower system? If so, where is the water source on the mountain? There's only one loch on the mountain that I can see on Google maps, but the pipes give the impression that they are going to bypass it.

The water source for Fort William hydro plant is Loch Treig further east along the West Highland line. See; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lochaber_hydroelectric_scheme

 

[ExRes]

While I fully agree that rail jobs are important I feel that the future of the plant and the jobs it provides now, in the future and with any form of transport involved in running it are more important than just rail

 

[ABB125]

The water source for Fort William hydro plant is Loch Treig further east along the West Highland line. See; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lochaber_hydroelectric_scheme

Ah right, thanks

 

[InOban]

Except in special circumstances the transport of raw logs is not a viable market. Trees are being harvested from a variety of temporary locations and few of them will be anywhere near a railway line. Only if there is a line but no nearby road such as the current harvesting in Caithness is it remotely likely.

In this part of the world there are four destinations for the timber. Some is trucked to Ardrishaig and shipped across to a ?paper plant at Irvine. Some is trucked to a plant near Stirling - don't know what it produces. Some goes to the Norboard factory at Dalcross, but I think that largest portion goes to the Corpach site which isn't just a sawmill, it an entrepot from which some timber is exported to sawmills elsewhere, even in the Baltic. BSW who own Corpach have a major depot in the Midlands and rail ought to be viable over that volant distance.

It is common to meet loaded trucks travelling in opposite directions.

 

[Bald Rick]

Id make the argument that its a certain way of thinking that has led to drastic declines in rail fright flows over the years, when you exclude the competition aspect, which is my original point.

Taking that perspective, (excluding pure profit motive) it matters far less where you start reintroducing rail freight, all that matters is that you start.

Demand comes from both ends of the chain.

It absolutely matters where you start in a world of limited resources. If, say, GBRF are to buy a loco and 20 wagons spare, it is far better for us as a society to have them remove 20 road wagons each doing 300 miles a day each (a typical competing flow), than 2 wagons doing 100 miles a day each (this one).

Or am I missing something?

 

[scotraildriver]

What about Glen Douglas? I think that's as long but not sure about the positioning of the stop boards.

The current train is over length anyway. It's foul of the single line everywhere except Crianlarich. It always gets its token first and we (Scotrail) simply inform the signaller when the last wagon is "in clear". It's the same with the Royal Scotsman or any other special. Doubling the train length would make no difference.