Mumbai, May 22 (UNI) Sterlite Industries India today informed the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) that the full commissioning of the new 250,000 tonnes per annum (tpa) aluminium smelter at its majority-owned subsidiary, Bharat Aluminium Company Ltd (BACL) Korba Operations (Korba II), has been affected due to recent extreme weather conditions there last week.

In a communique to the BSE, the Company stated that as a result of stormy weather, the captive power plants tripped, resulting in a blackout and less than optimal supply of electricity to the Korba II potline from standby sources.

''The Company is currently stabilising the potline under these complex conditions and some pots have been taken out from the existing production line. The remaining pots in production currently yield an output of 350 tons per day as compared to an average of 450 tons per day in the month of March,'' the communique stated.

According to the Company, efforts were on to stabilise the pots taken out from the potline and the current assessment was that this would be progressively completed towards the end of the second quarter of FY 07.

The surplus power that is generated by the Company's captive power plants due to this situation will be exported to the state grid until fully used for internal requirements, the communique stated.

UNI JJ MAZ VKG1815