Trump claims that tariffs on aluminum will force foreign companies to move their production to the U.S. Is this actually possible?
By Reff Redman
Firstly the USA has 15 aluminum production facilities in operation now. [NOTE: Someone posted a comment saying “most of those 15 are shutdown.” Unfortunately, I have lost track of that comment or I would quote it and credit them.}
A quick scan of the list of aluminum production facilities in the World puts the total at about 120. However the list I used warned that it was not a complete list.
However and merely as an example…
There is a lot, by which I mean A LOT, of aluminum smelting done in Iceland.
The Alcoa smelting plant in Fjardaal, Iceland is about 8/10th of a mile long.
ALL of the electricity it requires, and it is a lot, is generated renewably. All hydroelectric.
The Century Aluminum smelting plant in Grundartangi, Iceland is also about 8/10th of a mile long.
ALL of the electricity it requires, and it is also al lot, is generated renewably. All hydroelectric.
The Rio Tinto/Alcan smelting plant in Straumsvik, Iceland is about 6/10th of a mile long.
ALL of the electricity it requires, and it is also al lot, is generated renewably. All hydroelectric.
Together they use 12,453 GigaWatt Hours a year.
Just to give a sense of how much electricity that is, 12,453 gWh would power 251 million electric cars for a year. Which is roughly equal to the total number of cars on US roads this year. Which means ALL the car on US roads, if every automobile driven in the USA were electric.
And that is just aluminum production at three smelters in one small country.
As I understand the US Electrical Grid, it is not at all up to date. Without substantial upgrade, it appears to me that the USA’s grid simply could not supply the electricity required to return significant aluminum production to the USA.
This appears to me to be yet another of Strumpy’s “this sounds good, let’s run with it” barely thought about, harebrained schemes. Just the sort of scheme that will go bankrupt quicker than a casino.
One last thing: I delete comments that are dishonest, disrespectful of anyone, vitriolic, bar comments, or are more than mildly profane (I have a “thing” about swearing).
