Aughinish Alumina

Waste storage

Aughinish Alumina has faced opposition from environmental groups and local farmers due to its on-site storage of red mud, a byproduct of bauxite processing.^[11][12][13] The storage facility consisted of a 183 hectare disposal area for bauxite residue as of 2021.^[14][15][16] Although the High Court quashed the planning permission granted for an expansion of the bauxite waste dump in 2022, and despite continued objections from local farmers and environmental groups, a revised application to expand the disposal area was approved in 2025.^[17]

Exports to Russia since 2022

In March 2026, an investigation carried out by the OCCRP and its partners found that the refinery indirectly supplies materials to sanctioned Russian arms manufacturers.^[18][19][20] Following the investigation, Taoiseach Micheál Martin said that the findings would be reviewed and expressed his concern about the reports of materials from Aughinish Alumina being used to supply Russia's war effort, but defended the refinery's continued operation and stressed the importance of its exports to the European Union's supply chain, and he stated that alumina was not covered by sanctions.^[21]

The refinery's links to the Russian military supply chain faced renewed criticism in early May, with the Irish Government coming under pressure from dozens of MEPs in the European Parliament to prevent exports to Russia;^[22] vice-president of the European Parliament, Pina Picierno wrote that "It is unacceptable that, while the EU funds Ukraine's defence, a Russian-owned company operates undisturbed within a member state, supplying the Kremlin’s military industry".^[23][24][25] David O'Sullivan, the chief sanctions envoy of the EU, and a former Irish diplomat, stated that the European Commission would restrict access to "to commodities that could be processed and then used for the production of military equipment" by Russia.^[26] The Taoiseach said on 29 May that the Government was not contemplating nationalising the refinery, and said that sanctioning the plant would harm the EU more than it would Russia, describing the proposition as “self-defeating”.^{[27][28][29][30]}

in early June Minister for Enterprise Peter Burke contradicted figures from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) which showed that 83% of Aughinish Alumina’s total exports (200,619 tonnes) were sent to Russia in the first quarter of 2026. He said that the true figure was around 45% and that his department had discovered the discrepancy during its investigation into the refinery's exports. The original inaccuate figures had been provided to the CSO by Aughinish Alumina;^[31][32][33] the company later blamed this on a clerical error.^[34][35] The following day the Ukrainian embassy in Ireland issued a statement expressing their "serious concern" over the plant's continued export of alumina to Russia;^[35] however, Irish Minister of State Niall Collins defended the Government's handling of the issue.^[36]

The Taoiseach also expressed concern that products from the plant would be “used to assist Russia in waging its brutal war against Ukraine”,^[37] and said that "the details" of an investigation being undertaken by the Department of Enterprise into the export of alumina from the refinery would be published; however, he did not provide a timeline for the completion of the investigation.^[38] Irish MEPs and politicians urged the Government to expedite the investigation,^[39] with Fine Gael's four MEPs issuing a joint statement voicing their concern that the plant could be supporting Russia's invasion of Ukraine.^[40][41]

On 5 June, The Irish Times reported that according to a confidential report by Swedish tax authorities, the sanctioned Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska still holds a controlling share of Rusal, the owner of the refinery. This coincided with the arrest of the chief executive of the Kubal aluminium smelter in Sundsvall, another facility owned by Rusal, by Sweden’s special forces police in May.^[42] Taoiseach Micheál Martin said he was unaware of links to the Russian military supply chain; however, this was contradicted by records showing that he had been shown a briefing document regarding the connection while serving as Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs in 2023.^[43]

During a visit to Dublin to meet the Irish Government, in which she met both Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Minister for Foreign Affairs Helen McEntee, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Kaja Kallas said that it was important that the Government clarified whether Aughinish Alumina was supplying the Russian arms manufacturers.^[44] Kallas said that while alumina exports to Russia were not currently covered under sanctions that "Europe must close all loopholes";^[45][46][47] she also said that the European Commission trusted Ireland to conduct the investigation into the refinery.^[48][49][50] McEntee stated that the Government expected its investigation to receive findings by the end of the month, and that if material from the plant was found to be entering the Russian military supply chain that Ireland would support restrictions on its exports.^[51] During a debate in the Dáil the Taoiseach said the Government would work with the European Commission, but said there was "no magical solution" and that any sanctions were ultimately a "European competency".^[52] The next day Tánaiste and Minister for Finance Simon Harris said that Ireland would not support any measures that assist the Russian military industry, and that it could not "cherry-pick" when it comes to further sanctions. Both he and the Taoiseach also said that it was important to allow the investigation by the Department of Enterprise to be completed.^[53]