Progress at the Burnside Terminal

26 October 2011 - Burnside, LA - Refurbishment work continues at the newly acquired Impala Burnside Terminal in Ascension Parish. With more than $1 million spent on the alumina dock, administrative offices, landscaping and other maintenance work, the terminal is quickly ramping-up activities.

“These are early days but Impala is already laying the foundations for a concerted drive to hire local residents and utilize local Louisiana-owned service companies and contractors during refurbishment efforts,” said Phillip Hanna, Louisiana resident and Burnside Terminal maintenance manager. “Looking ahead, there is no question that Impala will substantially increase business and economic activity in and around Ascension Parish.”

Impala has also launched a public information program for local residents and nearby community stakeholders, including the development of http://www.burnsideterminal.com/, a timely and informative website geared toward keeping the local community informed about the project. A Burnside Terminal Twitter feed will also be utilized in communications with the community.

Ormet received an initial shipment of bauxite through the Burnside terminal on Wednesday, Sept. 28 and will shortly receive a further vessel. The arrival of the two shipments signify the start of a steady flow of bauxite into the facility and represent a milestone for Impala and Ormet who have worked closely together since the acquisition in June 2011.

Once fully operational, the Burnside Terminal will be only the fourth of its kind on the Mississippi River and the only one with the possibility of both rail-to-vessel and barge-to-vessel capabilities. Opportunities for further expansion and development of the terminal are being explored by Impala in partnership with relevant stakeholders.  Conceptual and feasibility studies for the terminal are underway and are due for completion later this year.

In June 2011, Impala, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Trafigura, acquired Ormet’s Burnside terminal in Ascension Parish, Louisiana.  The objective of the acquisition is to create a state-of-the-art major bulk terminal for coal, bauxite and alumina.  When completed, the terminal will be one of the top ten coal and bulk logistics facilities in the U.S. The Burnside facility was originally constructed in 1956 alongside an alumina refinery, but was idled in January 2008. The Ormet alumina refinery alongside the bulk terminal was not included in the purchase.

Further Information

Trafigura press office   

+44 207 009 1708 or media@trafigura.com