Challenging restoration of the factories in Valais
Published: Thursday, Jul 11th 2024, 11:40
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Following the storms in Valais, it is still unclear when operations at the two companies specializing in aluminium products, Constellium and Novelis in Sierre VS and Chippis VS, will be restarted. The cleaning and testing of all machines presents the companies with enormous challenges.
Superficial cleaning is well advanced with the removal of sludge from the entrances and inside the premises. Serge Gaudin, head of Novelis Sierre, said this at a media conference on Thursday. However, restoring the technology is a huge task that will still take weeks.
"Every element, all the electrical installations, switches, motors and pumps have to be dismantled, cleaned and checked," said Gaudin. Paul Robillard, head of Constellium at the Chippis/Sierre site, spoke of a "colossal task". An enormous amount of work would have to be done before production could be considered restarting.
According to Robillard, the Constellium Group, based in the US city of Baltimore, has assured the Valais site of its support. There is a common will to restart operations in Chippis and Sierre as quickly as possible. Robillard also thanked the employees who were involved in the cleaning work every day under difficult circumstances.
©Keystone/SDA
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