Ryan Ng is a project manager at Similajau Industries, a subsidiary of CMS and the strategic business unit which oversees development of the SALCO smelter project, while Suhadi Sulaiman is a senior operations review executive in PPES Works, CMS' construction arm. Both will eventually be involved in the SALCO smelter project.

“These training grants have identified people within the business now who will benefit from learning about how Rio Tinto Alcan works. We are confident such exposure will bring about benefits to the SALCO smelter project as it moves forward and also to the broader CMS organisation,” Mr Liddy said. Commenting on the MoU, Haji Baharudin Abdullah, Chief Executive Officer of PPKS, said the educational institution was excited about working with a global entity like Rio Tinto Alcan in the area of human capital development, especially in Sarawak.

“This is a great opportunity for Malaysians to develop skills and vocational education in a new industry like aluminium smelting and its related activities. SALCO will do the recruitment while PPKS will conduct training for a two to three year programme. Rio Tinto Alcan, with its global expertise, can play a significant role in this respect,” said Haji Baharudin.

CMS and Rio Tinto Alcan signed a Heads of Agreement in August 2007 to commence feasibility studies for the development of the SALCO smelter in Similajau.

The proposed SALCO smelter would have an initial production capacity of 550,000 tonnes per year with scope for expansion up to 1.5 million tones per year.