SOUTH AFRICA’S Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) has requested a meeting with executives from Canadian giant Alcan to discuss prospects for a planned $2,2-billion aluminium smelter at Coega, reports Engineering News. This follows a decision by French aluminium technology leader Pechiney to accept a take-over offer from Alcan. Pechiney’s plans for a smelter at Coega are far advanced. IDC chief executive Khaya Ngqula says the corporation has sent a letter to Alcan CE Travis Engen requesting a meeting, which Ngqula believed would take place within the next few weeks. He insisted, too, that the IDC, and the other partners in the project, would not consider an alternative operator for the venture until issues had been settled with Alcan, and that they remained confident that Alcan-Pechiney would indeed participate. The Coega Development Corporation says it is confident that there is a strong business case for the smelter, which would provide a showcase for Pechiney’s AP50 smelting technology. Ngqula said that any decision on the project would be delayed by between “three to six months. Within the next few weeks, we should find out what Alcan’s views are on the project, and we are confident that the delay will not be very long.” He said that the incentive packages were in place as were all the other elements required to construct the project – the smelter has been approved as a Strategic Industrial Project by the Department of Trade and Industry and Treasury and will receive a tax-based incentive. Prior to the Alcan bid, Pechiney had indicated that it would take up to 49 per cent of the project, with the balance being split between the IDC, electricity producer Eskom (both of whom would not take more than 12,5 per cent), and the Beny Steinmetz group. Ngqula said it was too early to say whether Alcan would take a similar position, but that the shareholding issues were unlikely to present an obstacle. “We have written to the office of the chief executive of Alcan and we are still awaiting a response, but we understand that the chief executive is very keen to talk to us,” Ngqula told the publication. “Alcan has gone public, in its proposal to take over Pechiney, in saying that they are favourably disposed towards the project. But the devil is always in the detail.” Should Alcan agree to a meeting, the IDC would send a high-level executive team to engage in the discussions, probably led by Ngqula himself.