Rio Tinto Alcan Dubuc Works to Increase Production of Constellium AIRWARE™ Alloys by More Than 50 Per Cent

JONQUIERE, Quebec, June 28, 2011 /PRNewswire/ --

Rio Tinto Alcan's Dubuc plant in Quebec, Canada will increase its production of highly specialised AIRWARE™ alloys for the aeronautical industry by more than 50 per cent following the signing of a contract with Constellium's Global Aerospace division.

"Today's announcement is proof of the close relationship between Global Aerospace and Rio Tinto Alcan over the past ten years," said Étienne Jacques, Vice president, Rio Tinto Alcan Primary Metal, Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean. "The agreement with Dubuc Works clearly demonstrates the need for our facilities to adapt to market demands, and respond to client requirements and standards. It also reminds us how important it is for our facilities to be open and flexible if we are to maintain our position among industry leaders."

To meet the requirements of the new contract, Dubuc Works will need to expand its current operations. Construction work is already underway and should continue over the next several months. "Increased production capacity at Dubuc Works will help us meet the soaring demand we've developed for our AIRWARE™ technology," said Christophe Villemin, president, Constellium's Global Aerospace division.

AIRWARE™ is composed of various complementary, low-density materials that are already part of such space programs as NASA's Orion and Space X's Falcon 9. Also, AIRWARE™ will soon be taking flight on the Airbus A350 XWB and Bombardier CSeries, and stands out as the technological solution of choice for future aircraft and aerospace programs.

Constellium, formerly Alcan Engineered Products, is a global leader in the development and manufacturing of leading-edge, value-added aluminium products for a wide range of markets and applications, including aerospace, mass transportation, automotive, packaging, energy and construction.

Constellium employs nearly to 9500 employees in 26 countries and conducts business in over 60 different markets. The company operates four divisions: Global Aerospace Transportation and Industry, Specialty Sheet, Extrusions and Automotive Structures, and the AIN, Constellium's international trading network.

Headquartered in Paris, France, Constellium is owned by Apollo Management (51 per cent), Rio Tinto (39 per cent) and the Fonds Stratégique d'Investissement (10 per cent). The company achieved a turnover of US$4.4 billion in 2010.

About Rio Tinto

Rio Tinto is a leading international mining group headquartered in the UK, combining Rio Tinto plc, a London and NYSE listed company, and Rio Tinto Limited, which is listed on the Australian Securities Exchange.

Rio Tinto's business is finding, mining, and processing mineral resources. Major products are aluminium, copper, diamonds, energy (coal and uranium), gold, industrial minerals (borax, titanium dioxide, salt, talc) and iron ore. Activities span the world but are strongly represented in Australia and North America with significant businesses in South America, Asia, Europe and southern Africa.

For further information:

For further information, please contact:

    Rio Tinto Alcan Media Relations    Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean
    Bryan Tucker                       Claudine Gagnon
    Tél. : +1-514-848-8151             Tél. : +1-418-699-4005
    bryan.tucker@riotinto.com          claudine.gagnon@riotinto.com

    Constellium Media Relations
    Laura Berneri
    T: +33-1-57-00-21-34
    laura.berneri@constellium.com
    Website: http://www.riotintoalcan.com

SOURCE Rio Tinto Alcan