Cameroon's only aluminum smelter stops production

[phantom power]

YAOUNDE, Cameroon (MarketWatch) -- Cameroon's lone aluminum smelting firm, the Societe Camerounaise d'Aluminium, or Alucam, stopped production during the past two weeks and isn't certain to restart in the next two weeks, state-run daily newspaper Cameroon Tribune reported Tuesday.

With an annual aluminium output of 90,000 tons, Alucam has merged with world smelting consortium Rio Tinto-Alcan to enable it to increase annual aluminum production to 300,000 metric tons.

But the company, which consumes approximately 50% of the country's total electricity supply, announced earlier this year that it slashed annual aluminum output 40% due to lack of sufficient power supply.

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/cameroons-only-aluminum-smelter-stops-production-2009-08-11