Kallas goes to Ireland to deal with alumina exports to Russia
The head of European diplomacy, Kaja Kallas, will visit Ireland amid reports regarding the activities of Aughinish Alumina, a company that has exported alumina to Russia. The European Commission announced that during her visit to Dublin, Kallas will hold talks with Prime Minister Micheál Martin. The parties will discuss the situation surrounding the company and issues related to compliance with EU sanctions policy.
Aughinish Alumina is a plant in County Limerick that has found itself at the center of a scandal because its raw materials are allegedly used in the production of Russian weapons.
European Commission spokesperson Anita Hipper stated at a briefing: “Several topics will be discussed, including support for Ukraine and continued pressure on Russia, but this specific issue will also be addressed as a matter of concern.”
When asked whether alumina could be included in the next package of EU sanctions against Russia, Commission spokesperson Siobhan McGarry replied: “We never comment on our future sanctions packages. With every sanctions package, we look for ways to close loopholes, always… with the aim of putting maximum pressure on Russia and minimizing any revenue it derives from this war.”
When asked about Aughinish Alumina, Prime Minister Micheál Martin said that the government “has concerns” and that the Department of Enterprise and Trade is conducting an investigation.
He noted that once the investigation is complete, they will contact the European Commission.
He said he understands that this issue concerns the broader European supply chain, rather than Aughinish or Ireland specifically, which is why alumina was not included on the sanctions list.
Last month, the European Commission stated that it had decided not to propose sanctions against Aughinish Alumina at this time.
A source at the European Commission noted at the time that the reason for not proposing sanctions was the potential disruption to the European aluminum market, given that Aughinish is a major supplier of alumina to a number of EU metallurgical companies.
Alumina is an aluminum compound from which aluminum is extracted. Aluminum is a vital component in hundreds of industrial, commercial, and military products.
Thirty-nine Members of the European Parliament from 12 member states sent a letter to the European Commission calling for a ban on the export of alumina from the EU to Russia, while European Parliament Vice-President Pina Picerno urged the Commission to include alumina in the next package of sanctions.
For its part, Aughinish Alumina warned the government last month that any attempt to impose sanctions on its alumina sales to Moscow would have consequences for Ireland’s national gas and electricity grids.
The document states that Aughinish Alumina “exports surplus electricity to the national grid, which is sufficient to power [approximately] 200,000 Irish households.”
The memo also warns that Aughinish allocates up to €25 million annually to maintain the gas network.
Both the briefing document and the company’s letter to the government—which was also seen by RTÉ News —contained warnings that any attempt to restrict the sale of alumina from the Limerick plant to Russia would mean that “the plant’s continued viability would be seriously called into question, with potential job losses.”
The letter to the government ultimately cautioned that, since Russia is a net exporter of aluminum and only 10% of its alumina needs are met by Aughinish, any EU sanctions “would have no significant impact on Russia and could potentially fuel inflation in Europe’s raw materials markets.”
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