Romanian aluminium producer Alro informed the electricity transmission system operator Transelectrica about the planned reduction in its
electricity consumption this year, as the company plans to shut down some of the electrolysis plants due to lack of electricity.
The company is the largest industrial electricity consumer in Romania, and it announced steps to decrease production in 2022 as a result of high electricity prices. Thus, between 1 and 31 January, Alro will reduce the power requested from the national grid by 50 MW. Between 1 and 8 February, the reduction will be 160 MW, and from 9 February until the end of the year, the aluminium producer needs 195 MW less than the normal amount it is allotted.
Alro is allotted a power of 917 MW, but its consumption was around 335 MW during 2021.
In late 2021, Alro has informed its investors that it will reduce the production of primary aluminum by 60 % in 2022. In the context of the exceptional situation on the energy and gas markets, the company’s Board of Directors decided that the production activity of primary aluminium will be reduced from five to two electrolysis halls.
In 2022, measures will be implemented to reduce costs and streamline the activity, and the quantities of primary metal that will no longer be
produced will be partially offset by recycled metal or primary metal purchased from third parties. Alro placed bids in 84 auctions on the Romanian electricity exchange OPCOM over the past three months, aiming to secure sufficient quantities for full operation in 2022 – but was outbid in 82 of those 84 auctions.
