Sohar Aluminium has restarted production after an interruption caused by an incident in August, the company said.

“Sohar Aluminium has confirmed it has re-energised the potline, and on September 15 gradually began re-starting the pots and the production of aluminium,” Said Al Masoudi, chief executive officer, was quoted as saying in a statement by an Oman Tribune report.

“The company is still working closely with a team of industry experts to progressively return to full production levels as early as possible,” the statement added.

The incident occurred on August 4 at the plant which interrupted normal operations.

The $2.4 billion Sohar Aluminium joint venture is 20 per cent owned by Alcan, the Canadian aluminium-producing unit of Australia-based Rio Tinto. Oman Oil Co and Abu Dhabi National Energy Company (Taqa) each hold 40 per cent.

The smelter may need four to six months to get back to full operation, a Reuters report said quoting sources. “About 130,000 to 150,000 tons of supply will likely be lost,” the source said.