It is reported that production at Cuba’s three major nickel plants, the René Ramos Latour, Pedro Soto Alba and Ernesto Che Guevara, located in the eastern part of the island has returned to normal after the severe flooding in October. The reports confirmed for the first time the full extent of the outages caused by Tropical Storm Noel.

The Rene Ramos Latour facility in Nicaro, in Mayarí municipality, province of Holguín was forced to temporarily suspend activities as a result of excess humidity in the laterite minerals, while the other two plants continued working with reserves on hand given that open pit mining operations were interrupted.

The René Ramos Latour plant produces close to 10,000 tonnes of unrefined nickel per annum, while the Che Guevara and the Pedro Soto Alba each produce more than 30,000 tonnes of the mineral.

Cuba is one of the largest producers of nickel in the world, the fifth world wide, and has one of the highest quality reserves. Last year, its plants produced 74,000 tonnes of unrefined nickel and 76,000 tonnes are expected by the end of 2007.