OREANDA-NEWS  On 12 December UC RUSAL ALSCON, a Nigeria-based aluminium smelter of UC RUSAL, the world’s largest aluminium and alumina producer, announced that it started negotiating with key members of the Association of Primary Aluminium Producers (APAP) on domestic sales of aluminium ingots in Nigeria.

Today ALSCON has hosted top executives of the Nigerian aluminium industry to discuss and agree on terms and conditions for domestic sales of ALSCON-produced aluminium ingots in Nigeria.

The ALSCON smelter, which fell dormant in 1999, was restarted by UC RUSAL this February as part of a USD 300 million modernisation programme.  The smelter is already producing more than 1,000 tonnes of aluminium ingots per month and employs 800 people.

The success of ALSCON is a fundamental part of the Federal Government’s Vision 2020 Programme whereby Nigeria becomes one of the twenty most industrialised nations in the world by the year 2020.

Speaking after the negotiations, Mr Andrey Terentyev, Managing Director of UC RUSAL ALSCON said: “Today ALSCON is sending an important message to Nigeria - we are open for business! We are pleased to prove once again that our smelter is viable and lays a solid foundation of the Nigerian industrial base.”

Also speaking at the event, Mr Walter Fetzer, Chairman of the Association of Primary Aluminium Producers (APAP) and Managing Director of NIGALEX Ltd, said: “For almost a decade the aluminium producers and manufacturers of Nigeria have been looking for the moment when they can purchase aluminium produced in Nigeria.  Access to primary aluminium from the ALSCON smelter shall help us reduce our costs and increase our productivity and profitability.  This is a great day for the Nigerian economy and a significant step towards Nigeria’s Vision 2020.”

Also represented at the negotiations were First Aluminium Nigeria Ltd, Tower Aluminium and QUALITEC.