UC RUSAL’s bauxite output dropped by 35.5% in the first half of 2009 compared with the first half of 2008, reaching 5.8 million tons, the company’s press officer reports. The general decrease in the company’s bauxite output is expected to come to 5.6 million tons by the end of the year 2009.

At the same time, the enterprise’s alumina output fell by 34% compared with January-June 2008, only amounting to 3.7 million tons. By the end of the year, the decrease might reach 3.9 million tons.

Then, the company’s aluminum production decreased by 10% and came to 1.98 million tons. By December 2009, the annual output will probably have gone down by 500,000 tons altogether.

All in all, the aluminum production’s average prime cost went down by 27% in the first half of 2009 compared with December 2008, whereas the energy spending and the expenses involving raw materials plunged by over 20% and 41%, respectively.