BHP Billiton studies building 3 bln usd aluminium smelting plant in Congo

SYDNEY - BHP Billiton, the world's largest diversified resources group, said Tuesday it was studying the development of a 3 billion US dollar aluminium smelting plant in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It said the move follows approval of an agreement with the Congolese government to jointly study the development of the smelter in the Bas-Congo region. The planned facility would produce about 800,000 tonnes of aluminium per year in its first phase and use up to 20,000 megawatts of electricity. BHP Billiton said the power would come from the proposed Inga 3 hydropower station on the Congo River. BHP Billiton has agreed to fund the cost of a feasibility study for the Inga 3 plant.