Century Aluminum Subsidiary Accelerates Icelandic Expansion

Century Aluminum Company (NASDAQ: CENX) announced today that Nordural ehf, a wholly owned subsidiary, will have sufficient electricity to accelerate the expansion of its primary aluminum capacity to 220,000 metric tonnes per year (mtpy) by mid-to-late 2006.

The Nordural plant, located near Reykjavík, currently operates at a rate of 90,000 mtpy. It was previously announced that the plant would initially expand to 212,000 mpty by mid-to-late 2006 and that power for the additional expansion to 220,000 mtpy would be available by mid-2007.

"We have been very pleased with the Nordural expansion, which has remained on schedule and budget," said Craig A. Davis, Century's chairman and chief executive officer. "Accelerating the expansion demonstrates the quality of the partnership that has developed between Century and the Icelandic power companies."

Century presently owns 615,000 metric tonnes per year (mtpy) of primary aluminum capacity. The company owns and operates a 244,000 mtpy plant at Hawesville, Kentucky; a 170,000 mtpy plant at Ravenswood, West Virginia; and a 90,000 mtpy plant at Grundartangi, Iceland that is being expanded to 220,000 mtpy. The company also owns a 49.67-percent interest in a 222,000 mtpy reduction plant at Mt. Holly, South Carolina. Alcoa Inc. owns the remainder of the plant and is the operating partner. With the completion of the Grundartangi expansion, Century's total capacity will stand at 745,000 mtpy by mid-to-late 2006. Century also holds a 50-percent share of the 1.25 million mtpy Gramercy Alumina refinery in Gramercy, Louisiana and related bauxite assets in Jamaica. Century's corporate offices are located in Monterey, California.

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.

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