Official concern about future of Ukrainian smelter

High power prices are causing increasing problems for Ukraine’s sole aluminium smelter—ZALK, which is now part of the UC RUSAL group—according to a top regional official. Yevhen Chervonenko, the governor of the Zaporizhia region where ZALK is based, told local media the smelter is facing increasing cost pressures and a looming question-mark over its longer-term viability. He said he would appeal to the government to lower the price of power supplied to the 110,000tpy smelter.