Noranda Alumina to Be a Site of Rare

An established natural resources executive, David D'Addario guides alumina and bauxite production at sites in Jamaica and Louisiana. In addition to serving as the chairman and CEO of New Day Aluminum Holdings LLC, David D’Addario oversees Noranda Alumina. The latter is a subsidiary operation in St. James Parish, Louisiana, that is part of DADA Holdings.

As reported in The Advocate, Toronto-headquartered Enervoxa, a green technology company, is partnering with DADA Holdings to create ElementUS. Bauxite residue is left in piles on site after the smelting process for alumina extraction. The companies aim to extract materials from this residue at Noranda Alumina’s $800 million plant.

The extracted rare earth elements from the residue are commercially valuable: they are used in the manufacture of smartphones, batteries, magnets, and flat-screen televisions. The elements are also essential to the crafting of industrial products such as medical scanning equipment, electric vehicles, and aircraft engines.

This solution not only reduces Noranda’s environmental footprint but also addresses dependence on suppliers in China for minerals used in technology. Existing in limited quantity and always in high demand, rare earth elements have a vital role in national defense and ensuring US commercial growth. The project will result in the hiring of 200 additional ElementUS workers at a Gramercy plant.