Century Aluminum Company - Company Announcement (is)

Century Aluminum and Ravenswood Retirees Reach Agreement

Company Completes Critical First Step in Smelter Restart

MONTEREY, CA--(Marketwire - February 29, 2012) - Century Aluminum Company
(NASDAQ: CENX) announced today that an agreement in principle has been reached
regarding healthcare benefits with the retirees of Century Aluminum of West
Virginia, Inc.'s Ravenswood, West Virginia smelter. The agreement remains
subject to ratification by the retirees. "We have been working diligently with the retirees and the union for a
considerable period of time and are pleased to have reached an agreement,"
commented Century president and chief executive officer Michael Bless. "We
would like to express our gratitude to Senator Rockefeller, Senator Manchin,
Governor Tomblin and their staffs for their constant support during this
process. "We have worked long and hard with Karen Gorrell, the retiree committee and the
Steelworkers and sincerely thank them in their efforts toward our common goal. "Mayor Harbert, the citizens of Ravenswood and their elected representatives
have also worked hard to help get us to this day. While encouraged by our
progress and the cooperation and support we have received from all parties, we
recognize that this is a first step and a great deal of work lies ahead. As we
have previously stated, a plant restart is dependent on an enabling energy
contract, a competitive labor agreement and a reasonable expectation that
aluminum prices are sufficient to provide for profitable operations."

Century Aluminum Company owns primary aluminum capacity in the United States
and Iceland. Century's corporate offices are located in Monterey, Calif. More
information can be found at www.centuryaluminum.com. 

Cautionary Statement This press release may contain "forward-looking
statements" within the meaning of U.S. federal securities laws. The company has
based its forward-looking statements on current expectations and projections
about the future; however, these statements are subject to risks, uncertainties
and assumptions, any of which could cause the company's actual results to
differ materially from those expressed in its forward-looking statements,
including whether or not the tentative agreement with the Ravenswood retirees
will be finalized or ratified. More information about these risks,
uncertainties and assumptions can be found in the risk factors and
forward-looking statements cautionary language contained in the company's
Annual Report on Form 10-K and in other filings made with the Securities and
Exchange Commission. The company does not undertake, and specifically
disclaims, any obligation to revise any forward-looking statements to reflect
the occurrence of anticip ated or unanticipated events or circumstances after
the date such forward-looking statements are made. 

Certified Advisors for the First North market of the OMX Nordic Exchange
Iceland hf. for Global Depositary Receipts in Iceland: 
Atli B. Gudmundsson, Senior Manager -- Corporate Finance, NBI hf.
Steingrimur Helgason, Director -- Corporate Finance, NBI hf.