The resources for investments are there but the nearly three hundred million euro project to restart the Eurallumina bauxite refinery in Portovesme, a company controlled by the Russian Rusal, has to deal with delays. A situation defined as “paradoxical” for the Russian group which in Siberia is carrying out interventions for the construction of a low environmental impact smelter with an investment of 1.6 billion dollars (almost 1.5 billion euros) and a relapse 1,000 jobs.
Bureaucracy in Sardinia
In Sardinia, on the other hand, before starting the investments and interventions necessary to restructure and restart the Sulcis plant, which has been shut down since March 2009 (due to the high costs of fuel oil, necessary for the production of steam, the drastic drop in the price of alumina and the rise in bauxite), some obstacles still need to be overcome. For today the Region is scheduled to hold a conference of services relating to the Paur, the single regional authorization procedure that gives the green light to the restructuring and modernization of the plants. That is, the factory that transforms bauxite into alumina, a raw material from which aluminum is then produced, which in the Portovesme center has a production capacity of 1.07 million tons of alumina per year, and considered by experts to be one of the most large in Europe. However, there are two other issues to be resolved: one concerns the memorandum understanding and then the Dpcm Sardinia, that is the provision relating to the arrival of methane on the island and in particular in Portovesme. Important steps to complete the project initiated by the company which from 2009 to date has invested almost 240 million euros to keep the Portovesme presidium standing and support the workers.
Unions and waiting workers
Unions and workers are watching the delays with concern. “Rusal demonstrates its willingness to invest despite the energy crisis and in Sardinia we remain at stake due to bureaucracy on the one hand and political inadequacy on the other – says Francesco Garau, regional secretary of Filctem -. Not having involved local communities from the beginning in the discussion on methanisation infrastructures is an unforgivable misstep but one which at the moment needs decision-making. It is quick to sign the DPCM Sardinia and start the Methanization of Sardinia with the positioning of the FSRU in Portovesme and Porto Torres ». For the trade unionist, there is a risk that “by wasting time, investments can also be lost”.