GOOSE CREEK, SC – Century Aluminum Mount Holly Plant announced a major expansion to increase aluminum production. The historic milestone will increase domestic aluminum by 10%, according to the company. Federal, state and local government leaders joined Century Aluminum executives and workers for the announcement.
U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said the Goose Creek smelter is only one of four left across the country, and 19 aluminum smelters have closed since 2015.
“We are here to make sure that we have a strong aluminum industry. That’s what you see happening now, stopping smelters from shutting down, stopping communities from hollowing out. If this baby closed, think of what would happen to this community. It’s just wrong, wrong, wrong. In 2015, Mount Holly was at half and now it’s at 100% capacity,” Secretary Lutnick said.
The ribbon cutting took place at the Century Aluminum site. Expansion will include a new pot line, where aluminum is produced. South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson got to tour the facility and says this type of expansion opens doors for a stronger South Carolina workforce.
“South Carolina needs to do everything it can to partner with companies like Century Aluminum. We can open the floodgates to technical colleges, we can have more students, trade programs as early as high school, so they can have six figure jobs right after they graduate high school,” said Attorney General Wilson…