All about aluminium

30 January NEW YORK, Press Release	Alcoa Sites Around the World Featured in Discovery Channel Program on How Aluminum is Made When Discovery Channel wanted to better understand aluminum, one of the world’s most recyclable materials, for its new television series, “How Stuff Works,” they came to Alcoa. The program, which is based on the website How Stuff Works, deconstructs everyday commodities such as corn, wheat, iron and aluminum. To produce the aluminum segment, the Discovery Channel visited Alcoa facilities in Western Australia, Tennessee, Iowa, Indiana and Pennsylvania.
30 January TORRANCE, Press Release	Alcoa Fastening Systems Announces Successful Deployment of Trolley-Tray Fastener Kitting System Alcoa Fastening Systems announced on 29 January the successful deployment of its unique Trolley-Tray fastener kitting system at the new Airbus A320 Final Assembly Line in Tianjin, China. The Tianjin approach follows a similar deployment of this system at the A320 FAL in Hamburg, Germany.
28 January LONDON, Press Release	Vedanta Resources Unaudited Results for the Third Quarter and Nine Months Ended 31 December 2008 Aluminium production in Q3 was a record 122,000 tonnes, a 23% increase over the corresponding prior quarter, primarily due to the ramp up and stepped commissioning of the first phase of the 500,000 tpa Jharsuguda aluminium smelter. To date 228 pots have been commissioned at Jharsuguda, supported by three units of the captive power plant (“CPP”).
28 January OSLO, Press Release	Impairments affect Hydro’s fourth quarter results Norsk Hydro ASA will write down the value of certain fixed assets and inventories by approximately NOK 3.5 billion with effect for its fourth quarter results. The impairments are a result of deteriorating market conditions and high input costs. Hydro continues to implement significant corrective measures to meet the unprecedented market situation with reduced production, lower investments and major cost improvement initiatives.
28 January MOSCOW, Press Release	RUSAL announces new appointment UC RUSAL, the world’s largest aluminium and alumina producer, announces the appointment of Eugueny Fyodorov as the Director of the RUSAL Engineering and Construction Division.
27 January NEW YORK, Press Release	Alcoa Continues Leadership Position in International Ethical Reputation Ranking Alcoa announced on 26 January that it has achieved the top ranking in the Basic Resource category of the 2008 Covalence Ethical Ranking, a methodology that gauges the reputation of international companies. Alcoa was also chosen as one of the top ten ethical companies across all industries and companies. It has been ranked first in the metals and mining industry and in the top ten among all companies since the ranking began in 2005.
26 January MOSCOW, Press Release	RUSAL converts Krasnoyarsk Aluminium Smelter to colloidal anode paste UC RUSAL, the world’s largest aluminium and alumina producer, announces that it has completed the conversion of one potroom at its Krasnoyarsk Aluminium Smelter (KrAZ) to the colloidal anode paste technology. The economic effect from this innovation at one potroom alone can be up to USD 1 mln annually.
26 January PITTSBURG, Press Release	Rio Tinto Alcan completes the sale of its equity stake in Ningxia aluminium smelter for US$125 million Rio Tinto Alcan has completed the sale of its 50 percent equity share of the Alcan Ningxia aluminium joint venture in China to Qingtongxia Aluminium Group Co Ltd (QTX) for gross cash consideration of US$125 million. In addition, Rio Tinto Alcan received US$13 million for the cancellation of an option right to expand at the Qingtongxia smelter complex. Alcan Ningxia joint venture owns a 160,000 tonne per year potline in Qingtongxia.
23 January NEW YORK, Press Release	Alcoa Announces Dividend The Board of Directors of Alcoa declared (a) a quarterly common stock dividend of 17 cents per share payable February 25, 2009 to shareholders of record at the close of business on February 6, 2009 and (b) a quarterly dividend of 93.75 cents per share on Alcoa’s $3.75 cumulative preferred stock payable April 1, 2009 to shareholders of record at the close of business on March 13, 2009. Alcoa has paid a quarterly dividend on its common stock for more than 60 years.
22 January DUBAI, Press Release	DUBAL excels in 2008 Emirates Energy Awards Aluminium giant scoops four awards for its innovative, cost-effective and replicable energy conservation and management practices.
21 January LONDON, Press Release	Corus signs Share Purchase Agreement with Klesch for sale of aluminium smelters Further to the Corus press statement of November 2008, Corus and Klesch have today announced that they have signed a Share Purchase Agreement (SPA) for the acquisition of Corus’ aluminium smelters by Briand Investments B. V., an affiliate of Klesch.
21 January MELBOURNE, Press Release	Rio Tinto Alcan curtails production and cuts costs in response to global economic conditions Rio Tinto Alcan plans to implement further production curtailments to align production with customer demand. Further to curtailments which occurred in the fourth quarter of 2008, totalling five per cent of global production, Rio Tinto Alcan plans to reduce aluminium output by another 230,000 tonnes. This brings the total production decrease to 450,000 tonnes or approximately 11 per cent of its total annualised aluminium capacity.
21 January MELBOURNE, Press Release	BHP Billiton aluminium production report for the half year ended 31 December 2008 BHP Billiton delivered a robust production performance in the first half of the 2009 financial year. This result was achieved within a challenging environment that resulted in prudent decisions being made regarding production adjustments as well as maintenance being brought forward.
20 January MOSCOW, Press Release	Sayanogorsk Aluminium Smelter launches a new gas scrubber UC RUSAL, the world’s largest aluminium and alumina producer, has announced the commissioning of a new gas treatment unit at its Sayanogorsk aluminium smelter (SAZ). The project investment amounted to USD 3.6 mln.
20 January OSLO, Press Release	Hydro changes structure and extends corporate management board Norsk Hydro ASA is extending its corporate management board by the addition of two members, as part of a reorganization designed to secure a more concentrated focus on operations and markets. The changes will come into effect from March 30 2009, when Svein Richard Brandtzæg takes over as President and CEO from Eivind Reiten.
19 January MOSCOW, Press Release	UC RUSAL announces management changes UC RUSAL, the world’s largest aluminium and alumina producer, announces the appointment of Oleg Deripaska as the company’s CEO. His candidacy was proposed by EN+ and supported by other shareholders of RUSAL.
16 January OSLO, Press Release	Hydro reduces primary aluminium production in Neuss by 13 percent Hydro has decided to reduce production at its primary aluminium plant in Neuss, Germany, by 30,000 tonnes by the end of January. “The Neuss smelter is at the very high end of the cost curve, mainly due to the German power cost level, which is among the highest in the world. The planned production cut in Neuss is a direct consequence of the weak market situation and global downturn in metal demand,” says Hilde Merete Aasheim, executive vice president for Hydro’s Aluminium Metal business area.
15 January OSLO, Press Release	Hydro to establish research center in Qatar Hydro will establish a research and training center in Qatar, called the Hydro Technology Center. The center will be located at the Qatar Science & Technology Park in Doha, and is scheduled to open this spring. An agreement between Hydro and Qatar Science & Technology Park was signed on Wednesday. Hydro will invest close to USD 7 million in the center over its first three years. The center will open early this year, and eventually grow to a staff of about ten people.
15 January MELBOURNE, Press Release	Rio Tinto releases fourth quarter 2008 operations review Chief executive Tom Albanese said: "Production for the quarter was in line with expectations. We are taking firm action in response to the global economic downturn and, given the resilience of Rio Tinto’s low cost assets, expect to remain well positioned when recovery comes."
15 January MELBOURNE, Press Release	Anglesey Aluminium expects to end smelting operations in September 2009 Anglesey Aluminium Metal, jointly owned by Rio Tinto Alcan (51 per cent) and Kaiser Aluminum (49 per cent), anticipates that it will end smelting operations at the end of September 2009 when its current power contract expires.
14 January MELBOURNE, Press Release	Rio Tinto appoints new Chairman Rio Tinto announces that Jim Leng will be appointed as Chairman of the Boards with effect from the conclusion of the Annual General Meeting of Rio Tinto Limited on 20 April 2009. He joins the Boards today as Chairman Designate and a non executive director. Rio Tinto’s current Chairman, Paul Skinner, has today notified the Boards of his preference to retire from the Boards at the conclusion of the AGM on 20 April 2009.
13 January PITTSBURG, Press Release	Alcoa, NY Governor Paterson, and NYPA Finalize Power Contract For Massena Operations Alcoa today announced it hosted New York Governor David A. Paterson to celebrate finalization of a 30-year hydropower contract to supply the company’s two aluminum smelters in Massena, NY. The power agreement is contingent upon an upgrade of facilities by Alcoa.
12 January MELBOURNE, Press Release	Rio Tinto’s Board change Mr Dick Evans, chief executive, Rio Tinto Alcan, has given notice of his intention to retire and to step down from the Boards of Rio Tinto on 20 April 2009 at the conclusion of the Rio Tinto AGMs.
12 January PITTSBURG, Press Release	Alcoa Reports 4th Quarter 2008 Results Alcoa today reported its fourth quarter 2008 results which include the impact of an historic decline in metal prices; weak end markets; and restructuring, impairment, and other special charges for its previously announced actions to curtail production, reduce costs, and streamline its portfolio.
12 January OSLO, Press Release	Svein Richard Brandtzæg new chief executive of Hydro Svein Richard Brandtzæg has been named chief executive of Norsk Hydro ASA, following the resignation of Eivind Reiten, effective March 30, 2009. Reiten has informed the Board of Directors that he wishes to step down after nearly eight years heading the company.
12 January OSLO, Press Release	Wicona ready for BAU 2009 Organizers call it the most important event of the European building industry. This week is BAU 2009 week — and Wicona is in Munich with the latest in energy-saving aluminium building systems products.
11 January PITTSBURG, Press Release	Alcoa Taking Decisive Action to Address Economic Downturn Alcoa on 6 January 2009 detailed a series of specific actions to conserve cash, reduce costs and strengthen the Company’s competitiveness during the current economic downturn. Building on the Company’s commitment from October, these actions address additional production curtailments, cost and procurement efficiencies, portfolio streamlining and reduction of capital expenditures and other liquidity enhancements.

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