The transfer of a second consignment of aluminium dross, a by-product of the aluminium smelting process, from Win Process Company’s recycling facility in Rayong, which caught fire on April 22, to a recycling and aluminium plant in Phanat Nikhom district of Chon Buri on Sunday, was disrupted when local villagers refused to allow the cargo to be unloaded.
The protest forced Win Process and officials from the Industrial Works Department to suspend the relocation of about 7,000 tonnes of aluminium dross to a Metalcom Company recycling plant in Chon Buri.
The movement of the first consignment of 108 tonnes last Saturday was completed without a problem.
Komen Phiewpoom, an official at the Industrial Works Department in Rayong, said yesterday that further relocation of the material was paused, pending the result of negotiations between Chon Buri’s governor and representatives of the protesters.
Talks are expected to resume this afternoon. Members of the House Land Affairs Committee and officials from the Industrial Works Department in Chon Buri and Rayong will be participating.
Aluminium dross can be used as filler in concrete to provide higher flexural and compressive strength, compared to pure cement. It can also be used in steel plants as a desulphurisation and deoxidising agent in refining furnaces.
The benefits of aluminium dross recycling include reduced landfill and fluoride emissions and conservation of natural resources. It can also be recycled multiple times.
