Russia's Norilsk raises '08 nickel, copper output

MOSCOW, Jan 30 (Reuters) - Norilsk Nickel (GMKN.MM), the world's No. 1 nickel and palladium producer, said on Friday its saleable nickel output rose to 299,721 tonnes last year from 276,000 tonnes in 2007.

Saleable copper output rose to 419,212 tonnes from 415,000 tonnes a year earlier. Palladium output was 2.821 million ounces and platinum output 659,000 ounces, Norilsk said in a statement. (Reporting by Aleksandras Budrys, editing by Robin Paxton)