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| Bechtel-built Alcoa Fjarðaál smelter opens in Iceland The Bechtel-built Alcoa Fjardaál smelter, one of the world's safest, most sustainable, and technologically advanced aluminum production facilities, has officially opened. Bechtel served as prime construction contractor for the smelter, located on the east coast of Iceland. The plant, which broke ground in July 2004, cast its first aluminum this April and by the end of 2007 will reach full production capacity of 346,000 tons per year. Bechtel directed 2,200 workers from Iceland, Poland, and other countries on the project. To house employees, the company erected a large team village near the existing village of Reyðarfjörður, about three miles from the smelter. The project has won praise in Iceland for setting an exceptionally high standard of safety based on Bechtel's "zero accidents" philosophy. It also won Iceland's highest environmental award, the Conch, for its policy of generating no waste to landfill, and not discharging wastewater into the neighboring fjord. write your comments about the article :: © 2007 Construction News :: home page |