864MINERALS YEARBOOK, 1978-79 
 
supply of alummum should exceed demand started production in a new melting
shop between 1980 and 1982 and the surplus will and continuous casting facility
at its San be available for export. However, after 1982 Andreas de la Barca
works near Barcelona. domestic demand should increase and all The 80 ton
Electromelt furnace was built by domestic aluminum is expected to be consu
Guinea Hnos The continuous casting med m Spain With modest bauxite produc
machme is a six strand Concast for 100 to tion and resources Spain remained
largely 160 millimeter billets of 5- to 12 meter dependent on imported bauxite
and alurni lengths Capacity is 200 000 tons per year 
na to meet the requirements of the domestic The Spanish roller Tetracero
owned aluminum industry 47% by ENSIDESA closed the Castellbisbal 
 Copper —During 1978 and 1979 the larg (Catalonia) works and was
preparing
to sell est producer of copper in Spain with output it In addition the company
shut down its close to 30000 tons of copper in concen Seville works and was
restructuring the trates Rio Tinto Minera S A continued installation at Gijon
(Asturias) 
expansion of its mine and mill at Cerro The steel mmiplant of Sidegasa (Siderur
Colorado Province of Huelva The expand gica de Galicia S A) was completed
during ed mill and mine will enable the company 1979 at a site in Galicia
situated 24 kilorneto produce an additional 23000 tons per ters from Teijeiro
50 kilometers from La year of copper Development of mines at Coruna and 54
kilometers from Santiago de Aznalcollar and Sotiel are described in the Compostela
Capacity of the new plant is section on pyrite as part of a large project
307 000 tons per year of steel and 255 000 for recovery of nonferrous metals
from corn tons of rolled products of which 80000 tons plex sulfide ores will
be wire rods and the rest will be 50000 
 Iron Ore —Difficulties in the domestic tons of merchant bars and
125
000 tons of steel industry reflected adversely on the deformed reinforcing
bars Commissioning iron mines However to improve the coun of the Sidegasa
plant indicates an increase trys negative trade balance expansion of of Spain
s electric steelmaking capacity 
capacity was underway at iron ore mines Pyrite —Development of
the
Aznalcollar owned by various companies in the Prov complex sulfide ore deposit
in the Province mces of Granada Huelva Badajoz Teruel of Huelva continued
during 1978 and in and Guadalajara 1979 the mine and plant came onstream

 Spain imported about 45 million tons per The operating company Andalusa
de Pin year of iron ore to meet its demand or tas S A (APRISA) received from
the Gov about one-half of its requirements. The ernment special fiscal benefits
for the conexpansion underway was expected to de- struction of a 500,000-ton-per-year
sulfuric crease the imports required to about one- acid plant in Aznalcollar
APRISA obtained third. a 95% reduction in corporate taxes and a 5- 
 Iron and SteeL—The iron and steel in- year grace period for repayment
of Governdustry of Spain had difficult years during ment loans. When in full
production, Aznal1978 and 1979. The apparent consumption collar will produce
51,000 tons of copper of steel declined owing to a general slowing concentrates
(25% copper), 42,000 tons of of capital investments, particularly in ship-
lead (50% lead), and 98,000 tons of zinc building. concentrates (50% zinc)
from 2 million tons 
 The Government of Spain was preparing of complex sulfide ores and 1.5 million
tons long-term and short-term plans to aid the of cupriferous pyroclastic
rocks. Reports steel industry. The long-term steel policy, show Aznalcollar
proven reserves to be being finalized at yearend 1978, was ex- about 44.5
million tons of complex sulfide pected to be based on new forecasts of ores
with 0.58% copper, 1.78% lead, 3.3% consumption, a study of the structure
of the zinc, and 57 grams of silver per ton of ore; steel industry, and studies
of the problems and about 34 million tons of cupriferous of raw materials,
fuels, and financing. The pyroclastic rock with about 0.58% copper, short-term
plan envisages substantial cash 0.40% lead, and 10 grams of silver per ton
of aid to the country's large steelmakers, but ore. 
not the restructuring which would be neces- At Sotiel, Huelva, the Government-owned
sary if the industry intended to remain company, Almagrera S.A., continued
explocompetitive after Spain joins the European ration and metallurgical
testing of about 40 Economic Community. During 1979, howev- million tons
of complex sulfide ores. At er, the plan was not approved pending Huelva,
Aprovechiamento Integral de Pinfurther examinations by all concerned. tas
S.A. (AlP), owned by Union Explosivos Cia. Espafiola de Laminación,
S.A. (Celsa) Rio Tinto (68.5%), Compania de Azufre y