Alcasa to Provide Technical Support for Cuban Aluminium Industry

A responsible person from Alcasa, a state-owned aluminium producer in Venezuela, said that the company is considering providing technical support to Cuba's downstream aluminum industry.

An official said, “We are conducting investigations to help us determine the potential of the Cuban industry and whether downstream industries can develop.”

A director of Alcasa stated that because Cuba does not have enough power to build an aluminum electrolysis plant, it is more likely to develop the metal conversion industry.

He also stated that Alcasa plans to assist the Cuban aluminum industry for six months.

Some officials stated that Venezuela’s state-owned heavy industry holding company, CVG, is conducting a metallurgical survey of the Caribbean coast countries of the Caribbean, such as Mecca, Dominican Republic, and Trinidad and Tobago.

“We will determine based on the investigation that the area can become a major aluminum processing and distribution center.”

Alcasa is located in the southeast of the province of Bolivar. The company's goal this year is to produce 180,000 tons of primary aluminum. In 2006, Alcasa’s primary aluminum production was 178,124 tons, a decrease of 4.6% compared to 2005.

Venezuela’s state-owned Guayana Company (CVG) holds 92% of the Alcasa smelter, and the remaining 8% is held by Alcoa.