Due to skyrocketing global energy prices, Century Aluminum, a US-based primary aluminum producer, issued a statement this Wednesday (June 22) saying that it will lay off 628 employees in its Hawesville smelter and temporarily curtail operations for 9-12 months, starting from June 27, until the energy price resumes to the normal level.

Jesse Gary, Chief Executive Officer at Century Aluminum, said that the conflict between Russia and Ukraine has led to an unprecedented hike in global energy prices, which greatly pushed up the energy prices in the US and around the world. The power cost of the Hawesville smelter was also raised to more than triple the historical average in a short time.

Separately, Century Aluminum currently has no other plans to idle other facilities.