Public sector National Aluminium Company Ltd today said it plans to augment production of cast metal by 12 per cent in the next financial year as the aluminium market has started firming up.

“With the aluminium market firming up, the Navaratna PSU foresees sunny days ahead and plans to increase cast metal production by 12 per cent in the next fiscal,” National Aluminium Company Ltd (Nalco) said.

The company has posted 16.8 per cent growth in bauxite production up to February with a volume of 65.64 lakh tonnes, the highest since its inception.

Similarly, the hydrate production at the company’s refinery has also registered an increase of 6.8 per cent, it said in a filing to BSE.

The hydrate production till February 2017 was 18.9 lakh tonnes as against 17.7 lakh tonnes for the same period in the previous year.

At its aluminium smelter, cast metal production grew by 3.79 per cent and aluminium metal sales grew by 2.68 per cent.