ALCAN REDUCES COST OF PLANNED SMELTER Alcan Aluminium Ltd said it has cut the expected cost of its planned Laterriere, Quebec, smelter by using enhanced Grande Baie reduction technology. The company said the decision to use prebaked anode technolgy used at its Grande Baie, Quebec, and Sebree, Ky., smelters was taken primarily for cost reasons. As a result, it said, the estimated total cost of the planned smelter will be held to 450 mln U.S. dlrs, the low end of the range estimated in mid-May, while the cost of the first phase was cut to 150 mln dlrs from the projected 175-225 mln dlrs.