Slovalco Aluminum Smelter Owners Ready to Share Control with Slovak State If Production Revived

The owners of Slovakia's Slovalco aluminum smelter have indicated they would be willing to share ownership with the Slovak state if the government helps revive production that has been suspended for three years. The facility is jointly owned by Norwegian firm Norsk Hydro and Slovak financial group Penta. Prime Minister Robert Fico's government has preliminarily promised to assist the company with high electricity costs, which forced the shutdown of the main production operations. The company's management confirmed that without government support for energy costs, production would likely end permanently, as the current owners are only prepared to maintain the facility in standby mode for a limited time.