ALUMINUM PLANTS AT TATABANYA AND INOTA

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80T00246A038200020001-5
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 7
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 26, 2010
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: October 29, 1957
• Content Type: REPORT

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ROCESSING CA-'r /.~
INFORMATION REPORT INFORMATION RE - PORT
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
This material contains information affecting the National Defense of the United States within the meaning of the Espionage Laws, Title
18, U.S.C. Secs. 793 and 794, the transmission or revelation of which in any manner to an unauthorized person is prohibited by `law.
C-O-N-F-I-D-E-N-T-I-4L
COUNTRY
Hungary
REPORT
SUBJECT
Aluminum Plants at
DATE DISTR.
2 9 0CT1
Tatabanya and Inota
NO. PAGES
6
REQUIREMENT
DATE OF
INFO.
PLACE &
DATE AC
NO. RD
REFERENCES 50X1-HUM
Attached to the report is a sketch of the main
circuit of the Inota aluminum
STATE #X ARMY #x NAVY #,
n
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4 ? FBI AEC
I(Note. Washington distribution indicated by "X"; Field distribution by ".#".)
I N FORMATION REPORT INFORMATION REPO I RD
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COUNTRY Hungary
SUBJECT Aluminum Plants at Tatabanya and Inota
THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATION
DATE DISTR.9 October 1957
NO. OF PAGES 5
REFERENCES
General Background
1. The plants at Tatabanya (N47-33, E18-26) and Inota
(N47-12, E18-10) were two major achievements of the Hunga-
rian Soviet Bauxite Aluminum Company (MASZOBAL). On
1 January 1955 both of them became Hungarian State property
and were administered by the Aluminum Industry Directorate
of the Ministry of Chemical Industry and Electric Power.
No information was available on the status of these plants
following the October uprising.
Tatabanya Aluminum Plant
2. Construction started in 1948 and the plant was operating by
1950. Its geographical location was determined by the
vicinity of the power plant at Banhida (N47-35, E18-24) and
of the bauxite processing plant at Almasfdzit8 (N47'-43,
E18-15),the main sources of energy and alumina, respectively.
The plant operated 200 to 220 electrolysis cells (5 to 7
voltage, 25,000 amperes), united in blocks of 20 cells.
The yearly output was 14,400 tons of aluminum of 96 to 98
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4.
percent purity.
The monthly power
requirement was 25,000,000 kwh. and one-time peak consump-
tion amounted to 35 MW. Production of one ton of aluminum
required 21,000 kwh.
The labor force was estimated at 350, includi no-about 40
on the technical and administrative staffs.
Inota Aluminum Plant
5. This was the largest alumina processing plant in Hungary.
The Inota Aluminum Plant was built,using political
prisoners mainly. Its technical equipment was furnished
partly by Hungarian firms and partly by Czechoslovak
enterprises. Operation started in 1952.
Technology of the Electrolysis Process
6. In the electrolysis shop 150 to 160 reduction cells were
united into blocks of 16 to 20 cells (5 to 7 voltage,
50,000 amperes), each block connected with four RMNV
500 by 6, 3,000-ampere mercury-are rectifiers. Transport
of raw material and of finished aluminum was accomplished
with the help of a crane which could move along the entire
shop. Charging of the cells was done by hand, one worker
being able to operate from four to six cells. One shift
in the electrolysis shop, including handymen and supervisors,
totalled 50. Samples of every cell's output were continually
forwarded to the laboratory.
7. Power was supplied to the electrolysis shop by the nearby
Inota power plant, through a double system of large-
diameter collector rails installed on a bridge.1 The
other buildings' supply was assured by an underground
cable system. The electrolysis process used about
42,000,000 kwh monthly, the one-time maximal consumption
being 60 MW.
Aluminum Output
The yearly output was 24,000 tons of aluminum with 96 to
98 percent purity. In order to refine it to 99.9 percent
(so-called "four times nine") purity, the plant was pro-
vided with a remelting furnace which could be heated either
by gas or by electricity. The amount of refined alumina
was unknown.
Shortcomings and Breakdowns
9. Normal functioning was often hampered by second-rate raw
material. The quality of the anodic paste, imported from
Poland, especially proved to be inferior. It caused
impurity and led to anode effects that were costly and
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affected the electrical equipment. Because of the anode
effects, the yearly loss of energy was estimated at 1.2
to 1.5 million forint. Much trouble resulted from the
faulty installation of the rectifiers in the electrolysis
unit,for which Czech firms bore the blame. Another draw-
back was the power plant. Its apparatus, furnished and
installed by Czech enterprises, proved defective and its
coal supply, brought from the Varpalota mines, was insuf-
ficient and of low caloric value (3,000 cal.).
10. The most serious breakdown occurred in spring 1953 when
the transformer station was destroyed by fire and from 90
to 110 cells "froze in" while the electrolytes could be
moved from 30 to 40 cells without ruining their linings.
The electrolysis shop started to operate again after a
two months' suspension but the total capacity was reached
very slowly in four months' time. The breakdown resulted
in an 8,000-ton loss of aluminum.
Labor Force
11. The labor force was estimated at about 400, 150 of which
comprised the electrolysis shop's three shifts. Other
parts of the plant employed an additional 150 persons,
while the technical and administrative staff amounted to
between 70 and 80 people.
[Sketches of the Inota Aluminum Plant
12. On page 5 is sketch of the location of,
the main buildings. Enclosure 1 is a diagram of the 50X1-HUM
main circuit. Following is the legend for the diagram. ,
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)
(6)
(7)
(8)
(9)
(10)
Double feed on collector rails from the switchgear
installation of the Power Plant of Inota.
Current transformers.
Potential transformers.
Expansion circuit breakers.
Disconnecting switches.
2 x 3 phase collecting bar system.
Branch lines of the double rail system.
Variable ration transformers.
Self-supply of the transformer station.
Self-supply of the transformer station (reserve).
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(11) Rectifying transformers.
(12) Collecting bar measurements.
(13) Fuses.
(14) Primary cable.
(15) Cumulative grid rectifier.
(16) Forming transformer.
(17) Substation (self-supply) transformer.
(18) Mercury vapor rectifiers (in units of four rectifiers).
(19) Direct current connecting switches. 50X1-HUM
(20) Aluminum rails.
(21) 800-V direct-current rail connection to electrolysis
shop.
Information
13. The director of the Inota Aluminum Plant was Jozsef Kiss,
1.
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a 5
SKETCH OF INOTA ALUMINUM PLANT
NOTE; Sizes of buildings and direction (N) are approxi-
mate,
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