Alcoa Primary Metals - Intalco Works - Permitting Information
1. Facility Information
Alcoa Primary Metals - Intalco Works
2. Location
Northwest Whatcom County, approximately five miles west of Ferndale, Washington
3. Distance from US/Canada Border
Approximately 10 miles
4. Facility Type and Size
The Alcoa Intalco Works is a primary aluminum smelter which uses the Hall-Heroult process to produce elemental aluminum from alumina (aluminum oxide) in 720 electrolytic cells called pots. The facility is a side-worked prebake plant with three potlines in six potroom buildings. The facility is currently limited by their air permit to a production rate of 307,000 tons per year (tpy) of aluminum. Alcoa proposes to increase production to 322,000 tpy of aluminum by increasing the electric current sent to the pots from 143 kiloamperes (kA) to 147 kA. No modification of the aluminum production equipment will be required. Alcoa proposes to add a new conveyor system to blend low sulfur coke into the anode production process so that sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions will not increase despite the increase in production.
5. Sources of Emissions
The proposed modification will not add new emission sources. Emissions will increase from existing sources as the production rate increases. The facility has many individual emission sources which can be grouped into eight process units: general facility, green carbon, baked carbon, anode rodding, potlines, metal products, ancillary equipment and maintenance.
6. Type of Fuel
Natural gas
7. Type and Quantity of Emissions & 8. Emission Control Technology
| Pollutant | Past Actual Emissions (1999 - 2000) (tpy) |
Future Potential Emissions (tpy) |
Net Emissions Increase (tpy) |
Emission Control Technology |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Particulate Matter <=10æm (PM-10) |
712 | 965 | 253 | Dry alumina scrubbers & wet roof scrubbers |
| Sulfur dioxide (SO2) |
4981 | 4981 | 0 | Low sulfur coke blending |
| Nitrogen oxides (NOx) |
133 | 140 | 7 | Use of natural gas, good combustion practice, low NOx burners |
| Carbon dioxide (CO2) |
34,157 | 35,826 | 1669 | Proper cell operation and current efficiency optimization |
| Volatile organic compounds (VOC) |
108 | 115 | 7 | Good operation practices |
| Lead (Pb) |
0.23 | 0.24 | 0.01 | Same as for PM-10 |
| Total Fluorides (TF) |
136 | 211 | 75 | Same as for PM-10 |
| Sulfuric acid mist (H2SO4) |
10 | 11 | 1 | Sulfur limit in pitch used in anodes |
9. Date Permit Application Received
Original application - June 26, 2002
Revision - September 13, 2002
10. Stack Height and Diameter
No new stacks are associated with this modification. The many individual emission sources at this facility were consolidated for air quality modeling purposes and modeled as 27 point sources, 6 line sources and 8 volume sources. Stack heights for the largest emission sources ranged from 16 to 25 meters.
11. Permit Agency Contact
State of Washington Department of Ecology
Air Quality Program
Attn: Mr. Bernard Brady
P.O. Box 47600
Olympia, Washington 98504-7600
(360) 407-6803