The Irish government is no longer denying that the Aughinish Alumina plant in County Limerick, Europe’s largest alumina refinery, is still exporting alumina to Russia, after an extensive investigation showed that the material enters the supply chain of the Russian defence industry.
The Aughinish plant, located on the Shannon Estuary near Askeaton and Foynes, is owned by Rusal, the Russian aluminium giant founded by Oleg Deripaska. Alumina refined at the plant is exported to Russia, where it is processed into aluminium by Russian smelters. That aluminium is then sold through a Moscow-based trader into supply chains used by sanctioned Russian arms manufacturers.
The Irish government is now demanding the European Union for money to keep Aughinish Alumina open for European industry as it prepares to nationalise it and bring it under State control.
Meanwhile, alumina exports to Russia from the plant are ongoing.
Alumina is used to make aluminium, and aluminium is a critical material in modern weapons production. It is used in aircraft, missiles, drones, armoured vehicles and other military systems. An extensive investigation by OCCRP and its partners found that alumina from Aughinish has been exported to Russian smelters owned by Rusal, which then sell aluminium into a supply chain connected to more than 40 EU-sanctioned Russian arms manufacturers.
The EU has banned imports of Russian aluminium, but it has not banned the export of alumina to Russia. As a result, the Russian-owned plant in Ireland could continue sending a critical raw material to Russia, where it can be turned into aluminium and sold to the Russian military-industrial complex.
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