Oman’s Sohar Aluminium said yesterday it gradually restarted production on Friday after an interruption in August, and was working to return to full production as soon as possible.
“Sohar Aluminium has confirmed it has re-energised the potline, and on Friday 15th September 2017 gradually began re-starting the pots and the production of aluminium,” Said al-Masoudi, chief executive officer, said in a statement.
“The company is still working closely with a team of industry experts to progressively return to full production levels as early as possible,” he said.
But the smelter may need four to six months to get back to full operation, an industry source told Reuters yesterday.
“About 130,000 to 150,000 tonnes of supply will likely be lost,” the source said.
Sohar said last month an “incident” interrupted operations on August 4, without giving more details.
Rio Tinto, which owns a stake in Sohar through its Canadian aluminium-producing unit Alcan, is trying to meet Asian customer requirements by sourcing metal from other smelters it operates or asking customers to change delivery schedules, the source said.
Rio was not immediately available to comment.
The supply reduction comes amid prospects for tighter supplies from China as producers cut output over winter to clear pollution, sending LME aluminium to its highest in five years yesterday.
China has launched a campaign to curb choking smog in its northern regions, ordering a slew of output cuts by the steel and aluminium producers.
Aluminium makers must cut capacity by more than 30% across 28 cities.
The $2.4bn Sohar Aluminium joint venture is controlled by Oman Oil Co and Abu Dhabi National Energy Company, which each hold 40%. Alcan owns 20%.
Sohar said last month an u201cincidentu201d interrupted operations on August 4, without giving more details
