On March 3, 2026, Hydro announced a controlled shutdown of aluminium production
at its joint venture Qatalum in Qatar. Following confirmation from Qatalum's gas
supplier that it will maintain supply at reduced levels, Qatalum has decided to
halt further curtailment and maintain aluminium production at around 60 percent
capacity.
The controlled shutdown of aluminium production at Qatalum was initiated after
gas supplier QatarEnergy informed the company of a forthcoming suspension of gas
supply. QatarEnergy has now confirmed that gas supply will continue until
further notice at a level enabling Qatalum to maintain aluminium production at
around 60 percent capacity.
The curtailment has been carried out in a safe and controlled manner. Together
with continuing operation at around 60 percent, this improves conditions for a
future restart. It is not known when the restart will commence.
On March 2, 2026, Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps announced that the Strait of
Hormuz was closed and shipping remains disrupted. Hydro is working to mitigate
the consequences of the curtailment and shipping disruptions. The safety of
Qatalum employees remains the highest priority.
Qatalum is a 50/50 joint venture owned by Hydro and Qatar Aluminum Manufacturing
Company Q.P.S.C. (QAMCO). The plant has a nameplate capacity of primary
aluminium of 648,000 metric tonnes and casthouse capacity of 687,000 metric
tonnes. Qatalum is fully integrated with a smelter, casthouse, carbon plant and
a dedicated gas fired power plant. In 2025, Qatalum generated an adjusted net
income of NOK 1.3 billion on a 50 percent basis.
Investor contact:
Elitsa Blessi
+47 91775472
Elitsa.Blessi@hydro.com
Baard Erik Haugen
+47 92497191
Erik.Haugen@hydro.com
Media contact:
Halvor Molland
+47 92979797
halvor.molland@hydro.com