Reprinted from article by OJ Stapleton, Editor, News Democrat & Leader, Russellville, KY on April 29, 2008 

Logan Aluminum unveiled its brand new aluminum recycling center on Thursday, April 24, 2008.  Logan County's largest employer showed off its cutting-edge furnace to local government and business leaders.

The project which began in 2006, cost approximately $30 million to complete, but gives Logan Aluminum the ability to take scrap aluminum and turn it into the rolled aluminum sheet the company has been producing for close to 25 years.

"Economic times are hard and we have to be innovative to keep up," said Logan Aluminum Chief Management Officer, Randy Schumaker.  "This allows us to do that".

The recycle center project was funded by ARCO Aluminum, Inc., a subsidiary of BP and the parent company for Logan Aluminum.  "We paid a premium to put this furnace in," said ARCO President, Pat Franc. "This is one of those things where you invest more initially, but you end up getting more out of it in the long run."

Before the recycling center was completed, Logan Aluminum had molten aluminum shipped into the facility.  But the new furnace does away with the need to bring in the molten metal.  The furnace, which has a melting capacity of 200 metric tons per day, is the first technology of its kind in the United States.

It can take all kinds of aluminum scrap, most of which is soda and beer cans and waste from can producers and turn it into pure molten aluminum.

The furnace in the recycling facility produces no waste and has much lower emissions than most facilities of that type.

It actually takes the oil, plastics and paint from the scrap and turns it into hydrocarbons for energy.  The contaminants on the scrap are used to help fuel the furnace.

"It's nothing short of amazing," said ARCO Vice President, David Brown.

The furnace was built by Hertwich Engineering, which has put in several similar facilities across Europe.

"Of all the furnaces we've put in around the world, this one is the best," Hertwich Product Manager, Andrew Beevis said. "This is the finest recycling facility in the world".

The 70,000 sq foot recycling center can also melt painted metal siding and lithographic sheet to produce aluminum sheet.

Once Logan Aluminum produces its ingots, it is shipped out to various third-party can producers.  Approximately 40 percent of all aluminum beverage cans sold in North America are made from the metal produced at Logan Aluminum.