Slovak News Back to the news
Norwegian Royal Couple Visiting Aluminium Producers Before Departure
Thursday 28 Octtber 2010 Zoom in | Print page
Ziar nad Hronom, October 28 (TASR) - Norwegian King Harald V and Queen Sonja made their final stop in Slovakia at two aluminium producers based in Ziar nad Hronom (Banska Bystrica region) with Norwegian connections before they returned to Norway later in Thursday evening.
Accompanied by Slovak President Ivan Gasparovic and First Lady Silvia, the royal couple paid a visit to Slovalco, which prides itself on maintaining one of the most eco-friendly aluminium production facilities in Europe. The company recently produced its two-millionth tonne of electrolytic aluminium, the production of which began in 1995. At that time the state-owned umbrella company Norsk Hydro, in conjunction with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, opened the new facility on the site of the former environmentallý-unfriendly SLZP plant, and the Norwegians became the majority owner. This year, Slovalco plans to produce approximately 160,000 tonnes of aluminium, amounting to some seven percent of the overall production in Europe. Currently, the company employs 518 people – and the former SLZP still exists but as a secondary industry rather than a producer.
When visiting the firm SAPA Profily, 100-percent of which is owned by the Norwegian group Orkla, the royal couple also laid the foundation stone at the site of a new anodic oxidation production factory. The construction works will start next year and create 82 jobs.
All rights reserved. Any publishing or further dissemination of press releases and photographs from TASR's resources without TASR's prior written approval constitutes a violation of the Copyrights Act.
