Hydro’s Alunorte alumina refinery in Barcarena, Pará, Brazil, is ramping production back to full capacity after securing temporary access to natural gas supplies from Centrais Elétricas Barcarena (CELBA).
The agreement follows approval from Brazil’s National Agency of Petroleum, Natural Gas and Biofuels (ANP) for Alunorte to become a self-importer of natural gas. The move comes after CELBA notified the refinery of disruptions to gas availability, prompting Alunorte to temporarily reduce alumina production as a contingency measure.
Production is now being progressively restored following the terminal access agreement. However, the disruption is expected to have a significant operational and financial impact. Hydro estimates that Alunorte lost between 100,000 and 120,000 tonnes of alumina production during the reduced-output period.
For the third quarter of 2026, Hydro expects the production reduction, combined with the need to purchase natural gas at prices above the contracted rate, to impact its Bauxite & Alumina business by approximately US$75–100 million. 
Source: Hydro with additional information added by Glass Balkan
