FRENCH ALUMINIUM group Pechiney has committed itself to Coega. A news release issued in Paris by specialist construction firm Technip-Coflexip says the aluminium smelter giant has already appointed companies to handle the construction of the aluminium smelter in the Coega industrial development zone (IDZ). "This announcement is confirmation that Coega is one of the most attractive international investment destinations in the world," says Coega Development Corporation CEO Pepi Silinga. Coega was competing with sites in Australia and Canada for the smelter. "Our combination of purpose-built infrastructure, the deep-water port of Ngqura, highly competitive power, water and labour rates, the careful planning done by the CDC and our commitment to international environmental standards proved to be the winning formula," says Mr Silinga. "And we could not have reached this stage without the support from the Nelson Mandela Metro, and both the provincial and national government," says Silinga. "While one last hurdle still has to be overcome- that of finance, we are confident that the smelter project is fully viable and that it will attract the necessary investment," he says. According to Technip-Coflexip media spokesperson Sylvie Hallemans, construction will start as soon as financing is completed. Current planning will see building start in the first half of 2004. Full production of the aluminium smelter will be reached in 2006, she says. The Industry Branch of Technip-Coflexip based in Paris will carry out the 600-million dollar general construction and management project in partnership with Bateman Projects Limited, the Johannesburg-based subsidiary of Bateman. It is a 50/50 joint venture, according to Hallemans. Once it is completed, the aluminium plant will produce approximately 460,000 tons a year of primary aluminium. The total cost of investment for the project is estimated at 1.6 billion US dollars, according to the release. The new smelter will use Pechiney's latest AP50 technology, which allows lower capital expenditure, shorter construction time, fewer emissions and more productivity than earlier generations of primary aluminium smelters. Hallemans says Technip-Coflexip and Bateman will be in charge of the plant construction including detail engineering as well as supply of equipment and materials. Bechtel will bring its technical support to the project. With a workforce of about 18,000, Technip-Coflexip ranks among the top five in the field of oil and petrochemical engineering, construction and services. Headquartered in Paris, the Group is listed in New York (NYSE:TKP) and in Paris (Euronext:13170). The main engineering and business centres of Technip-Coflexip are located in France, Italy, Germany, the UK, Norway, Finland, the Netherlands, the United States, Brazil, Abu-Dhabi, China, India, Malaysia and Australia. The Group has high-quality industrial and construction facilities in France, Brazil, the UK, the USA, and Finland as well as a world-class fleet of offshore construction vessels.