US-based Arconic Corporation held a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Thursday to commission its new high purity aluminum (HPA) facility at the Davenport Works plant in Iowa.

The US$57.5 million project, supported by a US$45.5 million award from the US Department of Defense, doubles the facility’s HPA production to approximately 90 million pounds yearly. This eliminates the need to import HPA, a critical material for US aviation, space, and defense applications such as fighter jets, rockets, and armored vehicles.

The expansion comes amid concerns about dependence on foreign-sourced aluminum. The new manufacturing lines are expected to be operating at full capacity by October 1.