ALCAN PACKAGING SELLS FLEXIBLE PACKAGING PLANT LOCATED IN ARRAS (FRANCE)

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2 February 2009

Alcan Packaging has sold its Arras food flexible packaging plant in northern France to Plastienvase Francia Sarl, a 100% subsidiary of Plastienvase S.A. based in the Cordoba region of southern Spain. Terms of the sale were not disclosed.

"We are confident that the Arras business will benefit from new opportunities and realise its full growth potential with Plastienvase, a well-established participant in the European food packaging industry," said Michael Cronin, President, Alcan Packaging Food Europe.

Plastienvase was founded in 1985 and operates two facilities in the Cordoba region, employing 247 people with sales of €37 million in 2007. The Arras plant, which employs 182 people, will operate under the Plastienvase Francia name as of 1 February 2009.

Alcan Packaging Food Europe, a business of Alcan Packaging, is the European leader in flexible packaging for the food and beverages market with registered sales of $US 2.3 billion in 2007. It operates 31 plants in 18 countries and employs 7,300 people.

Alcan Packaging is a global leader in value-added specialty packaging. It delivers multi-material innovative solutions to customers around the world for the food, pharmaceutical, beauty and tobacco markets. Alcan Packaging has 131 facilities and 30,000 employees in 31 countries. Headquartered in Paris, France, it generated US$6.2 billion revenues in 2007.

About Rio Tinto

Rio Tinto is a leading international mining group headquartered in the UK, combining Rio Tinto plc, a London and NYSE listed company, and Rio Tinto Limited, which is listed on the Australian Securities Exchange.

Rio Tinto's business is finding, mining, and processing mineral resources. Major products are aluminium, copper, diamonds, energy (coal and uranium), gold, industrial minerals (borax, titanium dioxide, salt, talc) and iron ore. Activities span the world but are strongly represented in Australia and North America with significant businesses in South America, Asia, Europe and southern Africa.

For further information, please contact:

Alcan Packaging

Colette Chauvière

Tel.: +33 1 57 00 28 26

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Alcan Packaging Food Europe

Marie Bérard

Tel.: +33 1 57 00 25 49

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Rio Tinto Alcan Media Relations, Paris

Chrystele Ivins

Tel.: +33 1 57 00 24 18

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Rio Tinto Alcan Media Relations, Canada

Stefano Bertolli

Tel.: +1 514 848 8151

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Website: http://www.riotintoalcan.com/      http://www.alcanpackaging.com/