Qatalum Says Aluminium Smelter Production Back After Power Outage

DUBAI, Sept. 16 -- Qatalum, a joint venture between Qatar Petroleum and Norway's Norsk Hydro ASA (NHY.OS), said Wednesday that production has started again at its aluminium smelter after a power outage in early August forced it to shut down operations.

"We are delighted that we are in a position to continue with our plans. We are taking every possible step to continue to ensure that our code of conduct is observed when it comes to the safety and security during the revamp of the QatalumQatalum plant," QatalumQatalum chief executive officer Jan Arve Haugan said in an emailed statement. Arve Haugahad made the original remarks at an industry conference in Essen, Germany.

"We have had a number of fruitful meetings with our customers, who fully understand our situation, and we have managed to provide the majority with the agreed supply despite the disturbance," he added.

The Qatar aluminum smelter was forced to close on Aug. 9 following a power failure.

QatalumQatalum, which is in ramp-up phase, had been operating at around 60% of capacity--a rate of around 350,000 metric tons a year--before the power failure and was slated to reach full capacity in the fourth quarter.

At full operation, the facility is expected to enhance Qatar's national gross domestic product by approximately $1.5 billion a year, according to the company.