Here for the long run

Engineering for the long term

At BC Works in Kitimat, Canada, a new conveyor stretches 1.1 kilometres across the site.  

To some, it’s an industrial structure but for the people who built it and those who keep it running, it’s a powerful symbol of progress: a demonstration of what operational excellence looks like when innovation, reliability and environmental responsibility come together. 

The new alumina conveyor is the latest milestone in a decades-long journey of modernisation at BC Works. Designed to last 50 years, it replaces a system constructed in the 1950s that had served its purpose but no longer met the efficiency and environmental standards expected of our aluminium operations.  

The conveyor moves alumina, the white powder used to produce aluminium, across the site. But because alumina is so fine, it’s easily disrupted during transfer, often resulting in dust and emissions.  

The new conveyor was designed to address this. 

A transfer point is where alumina is transferred from one part of the conveyor to another. Where the previous conveyor had 40 transfer points, the new one has only 5.  

“By reducing the number of transfer points, designing them to be fully enclosed and equipping each with advanced dust collectors, the system has cut particulate emissions by 41% from the estimated particulate emissions of the previous conveyor,” Shawn, a senior adviser on our Environment team, says. 

“This helps improve air quality and reduce maintenance requirements.  

It’s faster too, capable of carrying up to 300 tonnes per hour - more than double the previous system’s capacity. That efficiency allows for shorter operating hours, more preventative maintenance and ultimately, greater reliability.

A foundation for the future

The conveyor at BC Works introduces new systems to capture and recycle clean alumina, helping to eliminate waste and improve product quality. 

Its enclosed truck loading station can prevent spills and dust emissions, while improved weighing systems helps ensure every tonne of material is measured precisely, keeping downstream operations stable and efficient. 

Its placement is also strategic.