Century Aluminum Company - Company Announcement

- Century Aluminum Divests Stakes in Bauxite and Alumina Assets

MONTEREY, CA--(Marketwire - August 04, 2009) - Century Aluminum Company
(NASDAQ: CENX) today announced it has reached an agreement to transfer the
company's 50% ownership interests in Gramercy Alumina LLC and St. Ann Bauxite
Limited to certain subsidiaries of Noranda Aluminum Holding Corporation
(together with its consolidated subsidiaries, "Noranda"). Century will make
modest cash payments to Gramercy as part of the transaction, which is expected
to close in August. At close, Noranda will assume 100% ownership of Gramercy
and St. Ann. 

Century's primary aluminum smelter in Hawesville, KY currently receives all of
its alumina supplies from Gramercy. Century and Noranda will also enter in an
agreement under which Century will purchase alumina from Gramercy for a limited
period of time. 

Century and Noranda jointly acquired Gramercy and St. Ann from Kaiser Aluminum
and Chemical Corp. in 2004 and have each owned 50 percent of these businesses
since that time. Gramercy owns and operates a 1.2 million metric ton per year
alumina annual capacity alumina refinery located in Louisiana and St. Ann owns
and operates a 4.8 million metric ton per year annual capacity bauxite mining
operation in Jamaica. As a result of the economic crisis, Gramercy and St. Ann
have been producing at approximately 50 percent and 40 percent of their rated
capacities since early 2009. "Our five-year association with Noranda, Gramercy and St. Ann has been mutually
beneficial, and we have enjoyed working with the outstanding teams that manage
these businesses," said Century executive vice president and chief operating
officer Wayne R. Hale. "This transaction will increase our focus on Century's
core aluminum smelting business and our attractive growth projects. In
addition, the full curtailment of Ravenswood and partial curtailment of
Hawesville have reduced our alumina requirements. We have attractive contracts
in place which will supply our alumina needs over the next several years."

Century Aluminum Company owns primary aluminum capacity in the United States
and Iceland. Century's corporate offices are located in Monterey, California. 


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. 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 anticipated 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: 

Helga Gunnarsdottir, Director-Corporate Finance, NBI hf. 

Astros Vidarsdottir, Senior Manager-Corporate Finance, NBI hf. 



Contacts:

Mike Dildine (media)
831-642-9364

Shelly Lair (investors)
831-642-9357