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Two conferences on anode rodding plants have now been held in Reykjavik, Iceland ľ the first in September 2001 and the second in September 2003. About 145 delegates from 20 countries attended the hugely successful second conference, which provided an opportunity to discuss common problems in rodding shop operations and explore latest developments. The conference has now been firmly established as a platform for development and exchange of ideas in this important and previously neglected field of the aluminium industry.
Tremendous development has taken place in the aluminium industry during the last few decades. Iceland has actively participated in this development and the country already has the highest per-capita production of primary aluminium in the world. In the year 1970, a total of 39.000 tons of primary aluminium was produced, in 2003 the production was up to 270.000 tons and the trend continues. Alcoa has signed contracts for building a new greenfield smelter, Fjardaal, in Reydarfj÷rdur, with an annual capacity of 320.000 tons. Start-up of the first potline is planned for april 2007. If all ideas for expansion of the Alcan Iceland smelter at Straumsvik and Nordic Aluminium at Grundartangi will be realised, the production of primary aluminium in Iceland could be 1.000.000 tons after ten years. This would place Iceland in a group of ten countries with the largest annual aluminium production in the world.
The third rodding conference and workshop will be held in Reykjavik, Iceland in September 2005, allowing participants to learn about new developments, meet colleagues in the field and discuss solutions to common problems. We are confident that the knowledge and experience gained from the first two conferences will enable us to raise the technical standard of the conference even further.
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