07 April 2009

Rio Tinto responds to aluminum downturn

Via company news release:

Rio Tinto Alcan today announced it will slow the construction of the Yarwun alumina refinery expansion in Gladstone and curtail annual bauxite production at its Weipa mine to 15 million tonnes (from 19.4 million tonnes in 2008) due to the sharp fall in alumina and aluminium demand and prices in recent months.

Announcing the decision, Rio Tinto Alcan Bauxite and Alumina president Steve Hodgson said the depressed state of the market and a sharp cutback in demand made further tough decisions necessary.

 

Someone needs to ask Wade Locke about that great big gi-enormous project that was supposedly coming any day now to Labrador.  Hint:  it was an aluminum plant.

-srbp-