Alcoa World Alumina and Chemicals (AWAC) has announced it will suspend operations at its alumina refinery located on St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands, on January 31, 2001. The refinery has a nameplate capacity of 600,000 metric tons per year (mtpy) and is running this year at a production rate of approximately 450,000 mtpy. The refinery has been operating since December 1997 and currently sells alumina to Alcoa-operated aluminum smelters in the U.S. Based on supply available from the company's other refineries, the output from St. Croix is not needed at this time. Future production from St. Croix will be evaluated in light of internal and external supply commitments.