The carbon plant closure will leave only the atomizer plant operating at the Rockdale Operations, said Alcoa spokesman Jim Hodson. The atomizer plant, which manufactures aluminum powder used in space shuttle fuel, paint and cosmetics, will remain operational at the 56-year-old plant.
This week 300 employees remained on the payroll with most waiting for their scheduled departures Jan. 15, Feb. 15 and March 15, Hodson said.
Dave Edmonds, United Steel Workers of America Local 4895 president, which represents Alcoa employees, said company officials advised the union that because of the economy and aluminum prices, “they are going to be phasing the carbon plant out.”
Alcoa’s Rockdale Operations will continue to operate its atomizer plant, Hodson said. The company’s other atomizer is in Pocos de Caldas, Brazil.
Edmonds said the union was told the atomizer would continue operations for at least two years.
The first aluminum was cast at Rockdale Operations in 1952. The 35,000-acre site once was home to lignite mining, power generation and aluminum smelting operations, producing raw aluminum used to manufacture consumer and industrial products. At full capacity, Rockdale Operations produced 1.67 million pounds of aluminum per day.
Rockdale Operations had manufactured 40,000-pound sheet ingots used by fabricating plants in forming plate, sheet and foil, and 1,500-pound primary ingots or “pig,” which are sold for remelting. Aluminum powder, produced at Rockdale, is used in a variety of chemical and commercial applications including cosmetics, paint and as a component in solid rocket propellants for NASA. Rockdale Operation is the sole supplier of aluminum powder to the NASA Space Shuttle program.
When layoffs are complete, USWA will be serving about 30 active Alcoa employees in the water department as well as some electricians and general mechanics, Edmonds said.
Alcoa announced Sept. 30 it would curtail production at its Rockdale Operations smelter because of an noncompetitive power supply to that smelter and overall market conditions.
Edmonds said the union believes the curtailment to be permanent.
