Power Failure Halves Output At Rio Tinto's Laterriere Smelter

7th Jul 2010 16:20

LONDON (Dow Jones)--Rio Tinto PLC's (RTP) Laterriere Works aluminum smelter in Quebec, Canada is operating at half capacity following a power failure that could last several weeks at a minimum, a company spokesman said Wednesday. Two of three electrical transformers feeding electricity to the Laterriere smelter failed Tuesday, and one of two smelting potlines had to be suspended, spokesman Bryan Tucker said. Laterriere's annualized capacity is 250,000 metric tons of aluminum metal. "In the coming weeks, we'll mobilize the teams needed to restore the [shut aluminum] potline," Tucker said. Rio is investigating the cause of the failure and evaluating its impact on production, he added. -By Matthew Walls, Dow Jones Newswires; +44 (0)20 7842 9412; [email protected] -0- (MORE TO FOLLOW) Dow Jones Newswires July 07, 2010 11:20 ET (15:20 GMT)