Alcoa: Blackout update

Alcoa has restarted half the capacity at its aluminium smelter in Australia's Victoria that was crippled by a state-wide blackout six months ago. The Portland smelter has been running at a third of its 300 000 t/y capacity since a freak storm prompted the power outage in December, causing molten aluminium to solidify in the facility's potlines and freezing production. "Getting to the half way point in our bid to restore the business has been a big task, but what I have seen up to now gives me great confidence in our ability to deliver the plan," Plant Manager Peter…