Slovalco furnace resumes production
Slovalco has begun the gradual restart of production at its aluminium smelter in Žiar nad Hronom, Slovakia.
The first phase will restore an annual production capacity of 75,000 tonnes of primary aluminium.
The company, a joint venture between Hydro and Penta Investments, is expected to invest at least €100 million in the restart.
The resumed production will also support more than 200 jobs.
Milan Veselý, CEO of Slovalco, said: “What we were still speaking about as a possibility only a few months ago is becoming a reality today.
“After more than three years, we are once again beginning to produce primary aluminium.
“It is the result of the enormous efforts of our employees, the company’s owners, and the constructive approach of the state.”
The resumption of production follows the Memorandum of Understanding signed in February 2026 and the subsequent agreement with the Slovak Republic of 1 July 2026.
The first electrolysers have been started up, and the individual parts of the electrolysis operation will be brought online gradually.
Furthermore, Penta said the introduction of the emissions allowance system will enable aluminium production in Slovakia to remain competitive long term.
This includes compensation for indirect CO₂ costs, which are reflected in electricity prices as a result of the European Union’s Emissions Trading System (EU ETS).
The ETS aims to limit the risk of production being relocated to countries where producers do not bear comparable costs associated with carbon production.
The resumed production will also support more than 200 direct jobs and hundreds of indirect jobs, as well as creating opportunities for suppliers and other companies linked to the operation of the aluminium smelter.
Veselý said: “Retaining key employees and professional expertise during the period when production was shut down was one of the decisive prerequisites for today’s restart.
“An aluminium smelter cannot simply be switched off and then turned back on with the press of a button after several years.
“Behind today are months of intensive technical preparations and years of work by people who believed that production could return to Žiar nad Hronom.”
In addition, Penta said Slovalco will decide whether to restore the remaining part of the total capacity of approximately 175,000 tonnes based on future framework conditions, the market situation, and the availability of competitively priced electricity.
