Eramet

Regulatory Filings • Apr 7, 2009

Paris, April 7th 2009

Press Release

First Stone Laid at Moanda Metallurgical Complex, Gabon on April 7th, 2009

His Excellency Omar Bongo Ondimba, President of the Gabonese Republic, laid the first stone for the future Moanda Metallurgical Complex in the presence of Patrick Buffet, Chairman & CEO of ERAMET.

The future COMILOG Metallurgical Complex in Moanda consists of a silico-manganese plant with 65,000 tons annual capacity and a 20,000-ton per year manganese metal plant, as well as the related infrastructure.

The development of the Metallurgical Complex is concomitant with the upgrading of the public electricity grid, including the Gabonese government's construction of a "Grand Poubara" hydroelectric power plant on the Ogooué River.

This new stage in the creation of local value for Gabon is the continuation of its long-term partnership with the ERAMET Group

Alongside ERAMET, the Gabonese State holds a 25% stake in COMILOG.

COMILOG is Gabon's 2nd-largest company and manganese is the country's 2nd-biggest exporting industry. Including SETRAG (Transgabonais railway) personnel, the ERAMET Group employs almost 2,900 people in Gabon.

For Gabon, the future Moanda Metallurgical Complex will be an extremely important project, as it will lead to the local creation of a new industrial stage in the manganese value chain, fulfilling a major goal that the country's authorities have long voiced.

COMILOG, with ore production of 3.3 million tons in 2007, is the world's second-largest producer of high-grade manganese ore.

With the technological support of ERAMET's teams, COMILOG started up Moanda Industrial Complex (CIM), consisting of a manganese ore sintering plant, in 2000.

Capital expenditure for Moanda Metallurgical Complex will total €200 million (almost 135 billion CFA francs), spread over the 2009-2013 period.

At full production rate, the project's operation will create 400 direct jobs, in addition to a high number of indirect jobs.

Patrick Buffet, Chairman & CEO of ERAMET, stated, "The Moanda Metallurgical Complex project is a new stage in our development in Gabon that reflects our commitment to create value, know-how and jobs in this very important country for our Group."

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Vice President Strategy and Investor Relations - Philippe Joly, ERAMET (Paris) Tel. +33 (0) 1 45 38 42 02 - Shareholder information: http://www.eramet.fr