{"id":602516,"date":"2026-07-24T19:39:09","date_gmt":"2026-07-24T19:39:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/602516\/"},"modified":"2026-07-24T19:39:09","modified_gmt":"2026-07-24T19:39:09","slug":"aughinish-alumina-investigation-makes-no-adverse-findings-against-co-limerick-plant-the-irish-times","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/602516\/","title":{"rendered":"Aughinish Alumina investigation makes \u2018no adverse findings\u2019 against Co Limerick plant \u2013 The Irish Times"},"content":{"rendered":"

An investigation into Aughinish Alumina <\/a>and the company\u2019s export of raw material to Russia has made \u201cno adverse findings\u201d against the Co Limerick plant, Minister for Enterprise Peter Burke has said. <\/p>\n

In a statement setting out the findings of the inquiry, Burke said there was \u201cno information of a sufficient evidentiary level\u201d found to confirm that alumina produced by the Russian-owned plant was later being used to supply Russian arms manufacturers making missiles and weapons for Moscow\u2019s war in Ukraine. <\/p>\n

On Thursday, Taoiseach Miche\u00e1l Martin told reporters in Kyiv during a visit to Ukraine that although the review did not find \u201cconcrete or definitive\u201d evidence to prove Aughinish Alumina was supplying alumina to the Russian military, the report equally could not rule that scenario out.<\/p>\n

The Department of Enterprise was tasked with investigating a report by The Irish Times<\/a>, in co-operation with the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project, that drew on leaked documents to detail how Aughinish Alumina is shipping vast amounts of alumina to smelters in Russia, where it is then sold to a company that supplies aluminium to Russian arms and missile manufacturers.<\/p>\n

The plant is owned by Rusal, the Russian metals giant controlled by sanctioned oligarch and Kremlin insider Oleg Deripaska.<\/p>\n

The revelations pointing to the downstream role the Co Limerick plant plays in the supply chain of the Russian defence industry has seen calls for exports of alumina to Russia to be cut off. <\/p>\n

Ukrainian<\/a> president Volodymyr Zelenskiy<\/a>, who was briefed on the department\u2019s findings by Martin during his visit, said he felt there was enough grounds for the EU to sanction alumina, in effect barring Aughinish from shipping the material to Russia. <\/p>\n

In a statement, Aughinish Alumina said it welcomed the outcome of the investigation and was willing to take part in any work to enhance the traceability of alumina made in Ireland. <\/p>\n

\u201cAs a supplier of a critical raw material to Europe and as a large regional employer, Aughinish will continue to cooperate with all Government departments,\u201d the company said<\/p>\n

From the Shannon to Siberia: How alumina from a Limerick refinery enters Russia\u2019s weapons supply chain<\/p>\n

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