Novelis announced that its aluminum sheet mill in Rogerstone will cease operations by the end of March 2009. The announcement comes after a 90 day consultation, the aim of which had been to help get the business through the downturn by identifying measures that could be taken in light of the weak economy.

Mr Arnaud de Weert president of Novelis Europe said that "The Rogerstone team made every effort to adjust the operating model and costs to reflect the decreasing order book. Unfortunately a sustainable solution could not be found. We thank the employees for their constructive approach in the face of these challenges."

He added that "This has been a very difficult decision to make, but like many companies we must adjust to the economic realities of today. Novelis is going through a process to ensure that we emerge from the downturn with an asset configuration that is lean and even more competitive."

Novelis said that existing customer orders will be fulfilled and clients will be contacted individually regarding the future handling of their business in the Novelis European system.