OREANDA-NEWS. May 30, 2007.  United Company RUSAL, the world’s largest producer of aluminium and alumina, has completed the installation of alumina point-feeders in another potroom of the Krasnoyarsk Aluminium Smelter. The project is a part of an extensive environmental modernisation programme, driving the total number of potrooms with the alumina point feeding system up to 18.

The smelter will fully convert to automatic stock feeding in November this year, by which time the three remaining potrooms of the smelter will also have the new system in place. UC RUSAL is investing over USD 38 million in the project. Alumina point feeding will cut the smelter’s emissions of fluorides by 10%, tar agents by 3%, and dust by 30%.  The new stock feeding system also reduces the frequency of anode effects (potentially by as much as seven times), and significantly cuts greenhouse gas emissions as a consequence.

As the first Soderberg smelter in Russia to use the automatic stock feeding systems in all its potrooms, RUSAL Krasnoyarsk will enjoy the most important advantage of the system - better sealing of the reduction cells. The new system feeds alumina into a cell through a small opening according to a determined algorithm, whereas before the crust had to be broken as often as twelve times a day to enable alumina loading. During this operation, alumina losses and harmful emissions both were inevitable. It should be noted that alumina point feeders not only cut emissions, but also create a more comfortable working environment for operators in the potrooms.

“UC RUSAL has recently announced its Paving the Way to a Safer World initiative, which will encourage mitigation of the global climate change risk. By 2015, UC RUSAL is planning to cut its direct greenhouse gas emissions by half,” said Oleg Burkatsky, Managing Director at RUSAL Krasnoyarsk. ”I am confident that the alumina point feeders and other projects included in the modernisation programme will lead us towards the achievement of this goal.”

From 2004 to 2008, UC RUSAL is making record investments – a total of approximately USD 300 million - into the environmental modernisation of RUSAL Krasnoyarsk. Besides the alumina point feeders, the modernisation programme designed for the Krasnoyarsk smelter provides for new and more effective dry gas.