Aluar, Argentina’s primary aluminium producer, has completed the connection of natural gas pipelines to provide energy for the expansion of its smelter. The 60-kilometer pipeline connects the Puerto Madryn smelter with the main pipeline in Chubut. This is one of the major stages of the company's expansion of production capacity. Expansion capacity will expand from 280,000 tons to 480,000 tons. The first phase of the project (capacity increase of 400,000 tons) is scheduled to start production in May, and the second phase of the project is scheduled to start production next year.