The constituency MSP for Lochaber is holding a ‘drop-in’ session for people in the region to hear more about the future of the smelter.

Kate Forbes MSP will be joined some of the staff at the smelter and hydro sites as well as one of the team from the GFG Alliance at the Nevis Suite in the Alexandra Hotel >on Friday 10 February from 4-6pm

Last month, Liberty House and SIMEC (members of the GFG Alliance) completed a £330m deal with Rio Tinto to buy the aluminium smelter, together with the hydro-power plants at Fort William and Kinlochleven along with the associated estate lands. This protected the existing 170 jobs in Lochaber.

The new owners have already announced plans for a further £120m investment to upgrade equipment and establish an aluminium wheel manufacturing facility at the site – which could generate up to 300 direct jobs and hundreds more in the supply chain.

Kate Forbes, MSP for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch, said: “When it was first announced that a new buyer had been found for the smelter, I said that the future of Lochaber had just been rewritten.

“Big words, perhaps, but they were based on the new owners’ big plans for the smelter.

“I’m sure many people have questions about the new owners’ plans for the smelter and also to find out more about the site itself – and you’re very welcome to drop in and find out more.”

Sean Parsons, head of external affairs for Liberty House and SIMEC, added: “We look forward to talking to local residents interested in the work we are doing and also discuss how our plans for the site fit with our wider business.”

To find out more about the smelter and its future plans, come along to the Nevis Suite in the Alexandra Hotel in Fort William.