Brazil's CBA seen completing next stage of smelter expansion in Feb

Brazilian aluminium producer CBA will bring on stream the next-stage 70,000tpy capacity increase at its Sorocaba aluminium smelter in February next year, according to local media reports.

The expansion will lift plant capacity from the current 405,000tpy to 475,000tpy. It is part of a longer-term goal of lifting capacity to 615,000tpy by 2011. That will be done in two further incremental 70,000tpy hikes.

The reports also suggest that CBA, part of Brazil's Votorantim Group, is considering building new alumina capacity in the country to lift its in-house resource.