Century Aluminum sees expansion delivering 10% lift to US output

Century Aluminum Co. started producing metal from an expansion at its South Carolina smelter in a rare increase in US aluminum output.

The project, which is set to reach full production by the end of June, is expected to lift total US primary aluminum production by about 10%, the company said Thursday. The Mt. Holly expansion has also created more than 125 jobs, the company said.

The US aluminum industry has declined sharply since the early 2000s, with high energy costs and competition from lower-cost producers overseas forcing smelter closures. That has left the country increasingly reliant on imports even as aluminum demand grows in sectors like construction, autos and packaging.

The Trump administration has been pushing industry to rebuild domestic supply chains for critical minerals to reduce its dependence on foreign supplies. Century Aluminum said the expansion in South Carolina would strengthen its position in the US.

US aluminum prices have surged following President Donald Trump’s tariffs on foreign imports of the metal, throwing the market into disarray and driving up costs for domestic consumers.

Still, aluminum producers have been reluctant to boost production due to higher energy costs. Alcoa Corp., which owns a smelter in Indiana, has refrained from expanding production at the underutilized facility because it said doing so would cost around $100 million.

Century Aluminum is also partnering with Emirates Global Aluminum to build the first new US plant to produce the lightweight metal since 1980 in Oklahoma.

(By Jacob Lorinc)