Russian-owned Irish refinery held private talks with government over war and sanctions risks, Irish Times reports

Minutes from a May 2023 meeting revealed that Aughinish Alumina executives expressed gratitude to then-Enterprise Minister Simon Coveney and his department for their assistance amid ongoing uncertainties, which included the threat of U.S. sanctions and the economic fallout from the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The Foynes refinery, owned by Russian aluminum producer Rusal and employing hundreds of workers, has seen a surge in shipments of alumina to Russia, now accounting for roughly half of the plant's operations.

Although an Irish government inquiry found no evidence that the refinery's output reached Russia's military supply chain, the prospect could not be entirely dismissed. Deripaska, currently under EU sanctions, had reduced his share in Rusal’s parent company EN+ to under 50% following the U.S. sanctions in 2018. The Limerick refinery was previously safeguarded by the Irish government from potential blacklisting by Washington.

Ukraine and several Baltic nations have urged the EU to prohibit alumina exports to Russia, and the European Commission is reportedly evaluating the inclusion of alumina in its forthcoming sanctions package. Aughinish's manager, Ciaran Kelleher, informed Irish officials that the refinery only supplies approximately 10% of the alumina Rusal utilizes in Russia, with the majority of the aluminum produced being exported.