DUSHANBE (Reuters) – Production at Tajikistan’s state-owned aluminium smelter, the largest in former Soviet Central Asia, fell by 7.4% year-on-year in the first five months of 2012 after an extensive plant revamp, a source close to the company’s management said.

TALCO, produced 122,338 tonnes of the metal in January-May 2012 versus 132,058 tonnes in the same five months last year, the source, who declined to be named, told Reuters on Thursday. The main reason for the decline was lower monthly production rates in early 2012 as the smelter ramped up output following a modernisation programme completed toward the end of last year. A 15-day stoppage of Uzbek gas supplies also hit output in April.

If it meets its full-year target, TALCO would restore production approximately to 2010 levels after a 20% decline to 277,584 tonnes in 2011.