Magna Aluminum Profile started up the first fully electric extrusion plant to open in North America at its Salaberry-de-Valleyfield location on June 19.
The 100,000-square foot plant, which is located in the Perron Industrial and Harbour Park, will begin production this summer of a wide range on aluminum profiles, including tubes, bars, angles, beams, and more for the construction, manufacturing, and transportation sectors.
The $50-million project represents a major technological breakthrough that is expected to permanently transform the extrusion and aluminum-processing sectors. The project received support from the provincial government through the Ecoperformance program and the Green Economy Plan 2030.
Quebec Employment Minister Kateri Champagne Jourdain and Beauharnois MNA Claude Reid announced a $711,500 investment from the Ministère de l’Emploi et de la Solidarité Sociale to fund a specialized training program that will prepare up to 20 new recruits, while offering current and future employees transferable qualifying training on new extrusion methods – training that is not available elsewhere on the market.
By eliminating natural-gas use in favour of zero-emission systems, Magna Aluminum Profile expects to reduce emissions by 697 tonnes per year. The use of innovative, automated, and energy-efficient processes will also allow the plant to significantly cut its energy use as well.
The company is working closely with the City of Valleyfield to maximize regional economic spin-offs and to involve local partners including the Cégep de Valleyfield and several local businesses such as Valdev, Syscomax, PG Électrique, and International Building and Maintenance.
Magna also relies on Quebec aluminum producers such as Rio Tinto and Shawinigan Aluminum for billets, which are semi-finished blocks of aluminum used for manufacturing processes like extrusion, as part of its commitment to Canadian production. (SR)