Sen. Joe Manchin (right), D.W.Va., takes a tour of the Constellium Ravenswood facility in Jackson County on March 25, 2024, during an announcement of a $75 million federal investment in the plant to implement low-to-no-emissions technologies. The investment is part of $6 billion in federal investment announced on March 25, 2024, to decarbonize domestic industry to fight climate change.
Sen. Joe Manchin, at right, makes an announcement at Constellium Ravenswood facility in Jackson County, on March 25, 2024, of a $75 million federal investment in the plant to implement low-to-no-emissions technologies. The investment is part of $6 billion in federal investment announced on March 25, 2024, to decarbonize domestic industry to fight climate change.
Sen. Joe Manchin (right), D.W.Va., takes a tour of the Constellium Ravenswood facility in Jackson County on March 25, 2024, during an announcement of a $75 million federal investment in the plant to implement low-to-no-emissions technologies. The investment is part of $6 billion in federal investment announced on March 25, 2024, to decarbonize domestic industry to fight climate change.
Courtesy photo
Sen. Joe Manchin, at right, makes an announcement at Constellium Ravenswood facility in Jackson County, on March 25, 2024, of a $75 million federal investment in the plant to implement low-to-no-emissions technologies. The investment is part of $6 billion in federal investment announced on March 25, 2024, to decarbonize domestic industry to fight climate change.
State and federal officials on Monday announced a $75 million investment in low-carbon emissions technology for the Constellium aluminum manufacturing plant in Ravenswood.
At a news conference Monday at the plant, Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., joined state and company officials to make the announcement. The event was part of a larger media rollout Monday by President Joe Biden to tout his administration says will cut emissions from the industrial sector. It would be the largest-ever U.S. investment to decarbonize domestic industry to fight climate change.
Iron, steel, aluminum, food and beverage, concrete and cement facilities are some of those involved in this initiative. Recipients of the funding, which is coming from the Inflation Reduction Act and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, include 33 demonstration projects in more than 20 states.
At the Jackson County plant, the $75 million investment will support the installation of low-emissions SmartMelt furnaces. These furnaces can operate using various fuels, including clean hydrogen, paving the way toward a zero-carbon casthouse. In addition to reducing carbon emissions, the project is expected to help maximize recycled scrap intake and improve worker safety with the introduction of a hands-free casting process.
A Department of Energy spokesperson declined to specify the kind of “clean hydrogen†or hydrogen feedstock what would be used for the project, saying the department is focused on finalizing the award process. Once that process is complete, the agency will release further details on the projects, the spokesperson said.
“Ravenswood’s aluminum industry started here in 1957,†Manchin said in a news release. “Since then, it has helped strengthen our national security and drive the town’s economy for generations. I am proud that this $75 million investment will continue that legacy and help to grow the aluminum industry in Ravenswood while bringing new economic opportunity to the entire Mountain State.â€
Built in 1957 and employing more than 1,200 people, Constellium’s Ravenswood facility produces plate, sheet and coil products for aerospace, defense, transportation, marine and industrial uses.
“We are proud to partner with the federal government to accelerate zero-carbon technologies and reduce carbon emissionsâ€, said Brian McCallie, vice president of Constellium Rolled Products Ravenswood. “This investment will not only support our facility in Ravenswood, a long-term supplier of the aerospace and defense industry, but also contribute to the community we proudly serve.â€
As part of the facility upgrades to this project, Constellium plans to build a Community Benefits Building with a new training and wellness center for all employees and an onsite child care facility.
All of the hourly workforce of Constellium Ravenswood is represented by United Steelworkers Local 5668. Additionally, the Ravenswood facility is a site, requiring union membership for contractors and trades people, including all construction workers on this project.
A federal injunction was filed in December 2018 against Constellium, forcing the company into arbitration regarding medical and drug coverage for retired employees. In 2021, a federal appeals court denied a Constellium motion to vacate an arbitrator’s award.
