Century Aluminum to invest $50M in Mt. Holly smelter restart in South Carolina

[Redator]

Century Aluminum (NASDAQ:CENX) announced Thursday it plans to restart over 50,000MT of idled production at its Mt. Holly smelter in South Carolina.  

The company said it will invest approximately $50 million in the effort, creating over 100 new jobs and boosting US domestic aluminum production by almost 10%.  

The restart will enable the plant, currently operating at 75% capacity, to achieve full production by June 30, 2026, a level not seen since 2015. 

The restart, it said comes as a direct result of President Trump’s application of Section 232 tariffs for primary aluminum, most recently increasing the tariffs to 50% on aluminum imports without exceptions or exemptions. 

At full capacity, Mt. Holly smelter has an economic impact of over $890 million annually in the state of South Carolina, driven in part by the average wage of $100,000 for jobs directly supported by Century Aluminum, according to University of South Carolina study released in 2024. 

“Today’s announcement was made possible by President Trump’s commitment to onshoring manufacturing of critical metals… and to protecting American workers in our industry whose expertise is needed to ensure future generations do not have to rely on foreign supplies to build our communities and grow our economy,” CEO Jesse Gary said in a news release.  

“Our team stands ready to continue leading the resurgence of domestic primary aluminum.”