Lochaber alloy wheel factory plan shelved as demand falls

An artist's impression of what the alloy wheels plant would have looked like

Plans for alloy car wheel manufacturing at the site of a Highlands aluminium smelter have been shelved.

The proposed factory was to be capable of supplying at least one fifth of all wheels required by UK vehicle makers.

But GFG Alliance, owners of the Lochaber Smelter near Fort William, said there had been a "significant decline" in car manufacturing.

It has replaced the alloy wheel project with a new £94m plan to recycle aluminium on the proposed site.

Alvance Aluminium, which is part of GFG Alliance, would use the recycled metal in a new casting plant to produce 80,000 tonnes annually of long round shapes called billets for use in the construction industry.

To support this work, it has been proposed making "significant upgrades" to the nearby port of Corpach to "improve efficiency of material flow".

If given planning permission, the new project would safeguard 200 jobs and create 70 new roles. GFG Alliance said the new facilities could be operational by 2024.

GFG Alliance owns the Lochaber Smelter near Fort William

Separately, GFG Alliance plans to build a canning plant for drinking water at the smelter complex.

Executive chairman Sanjeev Gupta said the recycling and casting plants would use aluminium scrapped in the UK.

He added: "These investments will make us more competitive and will deliver a higher value product in the form of billet for construction to domestic and export markets."