Process Recording of Anglesey Aluminium

A process still continuing at the site is the re-melt and casting of scrap aluminium.  Here two men work at the cast table where the molten aluminium was cast into bilet.  (Crown Copyright)

Royal Commission photographer Iain Wright and Investigator Louise Barker, have just completed photographic and process recording of Anglesey Aluminium. Active operations stopped here in 2009, and a record of the works is important as decommissioning is underway.

The Commission spent three days on site, under the supervision of staff from Anglesey Aluminium Metals Ltd.  Their understanding and knowledge of the works and  process involved is essential to ensure an accurate record. (Crown Copyright)

The site opened in 1970 and was one of the UKs three aluminium smelters, at its peak employing nearly 1500 people. Many processes occurred over the 100 acre site, principally involving two main raw materials, alumina and calcined coke. Yearly some 330,000 tonnes of alumina were imported from countries such as Jamaica and Sardinia, whilst calcined coke was typically sourced from Jamaica and Europe. Much of this was brought in by ship, docking at Anglesey Aluminium’s own Salt Island Jetty some two miles from the site. The raw materials were then brought to site along a conveyor belt that ran underneath Holyhead Harbour. Annually over 148,000 tonnes of pure aluminium was produced. The process required huge quantities of electricity, some 255MW (enough to power a city) and this was sourced from Wylfa Power Station, 12 miles away at Cemaes Bay.

Aluminium was produced in four Pot Lines, comprising some 316 individual cells.  Here Alumina was melted and electrolysed to create molten Aluminium metal.  This used huge quantities of electricity and took around 32 hours. (Crown Copyright)

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