The incident is affecting information systems, and future operations could be impacted if the attack is prolonged, company said.

Workers voted to go on a strike till Aug. 18 after rejecting a new workplace deal that would have given them a 6.3% pay hike this year.

The project has been haggled over for years, with exploitation delayed by legal wrangling and the difficulty and cost of building infrastructure.

Asia accounted for 33% of Rusal's revenue in the first six months of the year, up from 23% a year earlier.

Due to the strike, some parts of the Appin mine have been made non-operational.

Underlying profit was $778 million for the year ended June 30, compared with $872 million a year earlier.

The facility will be equipped with bi-facial panels that can also generate energy from the light that reflects off the snow.

Talks are focusing on enabling Codelco’s Andina mine and Anglo’s Los Bronces to tap rich ore grades sitting between the two operations.