OREANDA-NEWS. December 22, 2009. UC RUSAL, the world’s largest aluminium and alumina producer, presented its unique aluminium production technology based on the use of inert anodes to Anatoly Chubais, head of the state-owned Russian Corporation of Nanotechnologies (RUSNANO). The head of RUSNANO visited the Krasnoyarsk aluminium smelter and a pilot area of RUSAL’s Engineering and Technology Centre in Krasnoyarsk. As part of the visit, the management of the two companies discussed possible cooperation in the inert anode project.

The inert anode technology is expected to drastically improve the environmental performance of aluminium smelters, as carbon will no longer be utilised in aluminium production. Today, each tonne of aluminium requires up to 500 kg of anode paste whose oxidisation in the process results in significant air emissions of carbon dioxide. The new technology will help smelters to achieve a significant reduction of pollutant emissions into the atmosphere. Moreover, inert anodes will generate oxygen which can also be used as a commodity.

Another advantage of the new method is a lower operating expenditure. In particular, introduction of the inert anode technology will enable the Krasnoyarsk smelter to save approximately USD 200 mln annually. The cost of greenfield projects for inert anode smelters is also expected to be around 30% lower as compared to the traditional production technology.

RUSAL started the development of the new technology several years ago, and has since achieved certain results. RUSNANO became interested in the promising technology.  RUSAL intends to start full-scale production of new anodes and cooperation with RUSNANO is one of possible scenarios of the project development. The parties are currently searching for an optimal format of cooperation.

Inert anodes are the focus of research of all key players in the global aluminium industry. RUSNANO’s involvement will enable RUSAL to raise additional funds for the research and become the first company to introduce the new technology and gain the crucial competitive advantage.

RUSAL’s Engineering and Technology Centre has a successful track record of developing and implementing innovative technologies. One of Engineering and Technology Centre’s largest projects was the development and commissioning of a 300-kA reduction cell – the so called RA-300 – whose performance allows it to successfully compete with its international countertypes. RA-300 pots were installed at the Khakas aluminium smelter. Meanwhile, the new Taishet smelter will be equipped with RA-400, an even more powerful type of cell, which is also RUSAL’s in-house development and is among the world’s top three aluminium production technologies.