RUSAL may raise output in Q1 2010 - sources

MOSCOW, Feb 9 - The world's top aluminium producer, Russia's UC RUSAL <0486.HK> <RUAL.PA>, may increase output at its mothballed assets in the first quarter of this year, two sources said on Tuesday.

The sources, acquainted with RUSAL's presentation to investors, said RUSAL would recommission 100,000 tonnes of mothballed annual aluminium capacity as current aluminium prices <MAL3> allowed to increase output at some plants, where costs of producing a tonne of light metal was equal to $1,950.

One source also told Reuters that RUSAL produced 3.9 million tonnes of aluminium last year, in line with its plan to cut output by 500,000 tonnes in 2009 from 4.4 million tonnes produced in 2008.

UC RUSAL could not be reached for comment.