OREANDA-NEWS. November 10, 2009. UC RUSAL, the world’s largest aluminium and alumina producer, and the Russian Federal Grid Company of Unified Energy System (FGC UES) announced the signing of an agreement to ensure safe operations of the energy network in Siberia when the Sayano-Shushenskaya HPP is decommissioned.

Under the agreement the parties approved a schedule of repairs and recovery operations and defined coordination procedures to prevent and rectify consequences of potential emergencies at overhead power lines in Siberia.

In line with the signed document, FGC UES will ensure the prompt appointment of emergency response teams and immediate planning of remedial actions to fight potential emergencies and prevent failures of power supply to RUSAL’s production sites.

In its turn, RUSAL will provide special vehicles to the emergency response teams in its area of responsibility after receiving notification of such a necessity from FGC UES, thus facilitating recovery operations.

‘The Agreement with FGC UES is of utmost importance for RUSAL as the largest power consumer in the region. It provides for not only the promptness of the repairs and recovery operations but also clearly specifies joint procedures, including our participation, in emergencies which makes it possible to minimise potential risks associated with irregular power supply to our production facilities,’ said Eugueny Fedorov, the Director of the Engineering and Construction Division of RUSAL.

‘FGC UES is taking all measures required to ensure safe operations of the Siberian energy grid in a difficult situation of electrical energy shortages following the emergency at the Sayano-Shushenskaya HPP. RUSAL is one of the main electricity consumers in the region and close cooperation with RUSAL on the issue is of principal importance for us. The agreement will allow us to engage additional manpower and resources to ensure safe operations of the power network in Siberia and, in the event of any process deviation, will enable us to shorten the limitation of the power supply to aluminium smelters to minimal,’ stated Dmitry Gvozdev, the Engineering Manager of FGC UES.