Norsk Hydro: Hydro Ardal power outage has limited effect on production


OSLO, Norway, Feb. 1, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Following the power outage on Friday night, around 10 percent of Hydro Årdal's primary aluminium production capacity is temporarily shut down.

Hydro expects to leave customers unaffected by the incident by increasing remelt of cold metal at the plant's cast house, compensating the temporarily reduced primary production.

Full primary aluminium production is expected to resume in Q2 2016, and financial effects are expected to be limited, based on the current information. Casthouse operations at the plant has fully resumed after the incident, and efforts are ongoing to further stabilize the plant's primary aluminium production processes.

It was under adverse weather conditions in the region Hydro's primary aluminium plant experienced almost four hours power outage due to a technical fault. Hydro is still investigating the cause of this.

Hydro Årdal has an annual production of around 190 000 tonnes primary aluminium, employs around 500 people, and casts sheet ingots and primary foundry alloys.

Investor contact
Contact Pål Kildemo
Cellular +47 97096711
E-mail Pål.Kildemo@hydro.com

Press contact
Contact Halvor Molland
Cellular +47 92979797
E-mail Halvor.Molland@hydro.com

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