Hydro shuts Brazil alumina refinery and bauxite mine
Norwegian aluminium company Norsk Hydro on Wednesday announced that it would shut down its Alunorte alumina refinery and its Paragominas bauxite mine, in Brazil, owing to a dispute with authorities over water discharges from the refinery.
The refinery – the world’s largest alumina producer – has been operating at 50% capacity since a March 1 embargo, after heavy rainfall in the previous month caused flooding, prompting questions over unauthorised spills of waste water.