Century Aluminum's Oklahoma Smelter Project Advances Amid Local Pushback

## Century Aluminum's Oklahoma Smelter Project Advances Century Aluminum's Oklahoma smelter project is moving forward, with the company's President and CEO Jesse Gary stating that the project is on track to break ground this year and begin producing hot metal by the end of 2029. This announcement comes despite local pushback and a lawsuit filed by Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond, who is running for state governor. Gary made the statement during an earnings call, where he also noted that the company, along with joint venture partner Emirates Global Aluminum, continued to make progress on project financing, energy contract talks, and engineering details with Bechtel. The project is expected to double U.S. primary aluminum production with an annual capacity of 750,000 metric tons. ## Local Concerns and Lawsuit Local residents and politicians have raised concerns about the smelter's potential environmental impact, with Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond filing a petition to block the development in June. The case was moved to the Northern District Court of Oklahoma, where it remains ongoing. Drummond cited environmental and public nuisance concerns as the reason for filing the petition. In response to these concerns, Gary stated that the companies are working to better understand residents' concerns and to ensure that they have all the facts about their technology and process. He also assured analysts that power contract negotiations are "continuing to move forward well" and will be done ahead of the final investment decision. ## Incentives and Benefits The Inola, Oklahoma, smelter project is expected to qualify for the Trump administration's recent onshoring incentive program, which allows approved companies to import a limited amount of primary aluminum at a tariff rate of 25% versus 50%. If approved, Century Aluminum and Emirates Global Aluminum would be able to import up to 300,000 metric tons per year at the reduced rate starting in 2027. The companies plan to split the incentive according to their 60-40 joint venture ownership. Gary stated that the administration's new program "goes a step further and actually incentivizes the companies that are putting capital in the ground to build new American capacity." He also noted that the company intends to apply the benefit to help fund Century's share of the Oklahoma project. ## Next Steps The Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality is still reviewing an air quality permit application related to the project that was received in February. Inola City Council moved to pause their zoning approvals for the smelter in June after residents raised concerns about how the emissions would affect surrounding plants and livestock. The construction moratorium is scheduled to expire on August 28. The companies have moved to dismiss the case filed by Drummond, and the outcome of the lawsuit remains uncertain. However, Gary's statement suggests that the project is moving forward, despite the local pushback and concerns.