On the remote East coast of Iceland, near the edge of the Arctic Circle, Alcoa set out to construct a new primary aluminium smelter plant. Although Iceland has very few proven mineral resources what it does have in abundance is hydroelectric power sources and aluminium smelting is power hungry!
Fjarðaál, which was the name given to the new plant and means aluminium of the fjords, was designed and built by US construction giant Bechtel Corporation.