(Adding details in paras 4, 5)
NEW YORK, Sept 30 (Reuters) - Century Aluminum Co CENX.O ,
which is owned by Glencore PLC GLEN.L , said on Wednesday it
will keep two potlines at its Hawesville, Kentucky, smelter
operating, a partial retreat from its plan to shutter the plant
completely.
The plant, which has the capacity to produce 225,000 tonnes
per year of aluminum, will run at 40 percent capacity, making
high-purity aluminum and supplying molten metal to local
customers, it said.
The move comes a month after the company said it would idle
the plant by the end of October, the first aluminum plant to
shut in years as sinking prices and increased Chinese exports
harm producers.
Still the future of the operation depends on "acceptable"
commercial conditions, including aluminum prices, premiums and
operating costs, Century said.
The two potlines will be shuttered if the company fails to
produce certain high-purity aluminum or if there is a material
adverse change in commercial circumstances, it said.
The news comes as embattled Glencore aims to cut about a
third of its $30 billion debt and to regain the trust of
investors after its shares tumbled by about three quarters this
year to record lows amid weak global commodity prices.