Bechtel appointed for Malaysian smelter study

International engineering company Bechtel has been appointed to undertake an engineering study of the proposed new aluminium smelter in Sarawak, Malaysia, according to local news reports. The smelter is being backed by Rio Tinto and local company Cahya Mata Sarawak (CMS). The two companies signed a heads of agreement in August on the project, which at its first stage would have a capacity of 550,000tpy. Feasibility studies on the project are expected to take 12-15 months to complete, meaning construction would begin at the earliest in 2009. Bechtel’s appointment for the engineering study follows the appointment of local company Chemsain Konsultant Sdn Bhd and URS Australia Pty Ltd to conduct an environmental impact assessment study for the smelter.