OREANDA-NEWS. February 16, 2012. UC RUSAL (SEHK: 486; Euronext: RUSAL/RUAL; MICEX-RTS: RUALR), the world’s largest aluminium producer, is pleased to announce its plans to increase alloy production in Aluminium Division East units by up to 70% by 2016. This is an increase from 1,130,000 tonnes to 1,930,000 tonnes. Investments in the project in 2012 will amount to USD 5 million, the Division's alloy production in 2012 will rise to 1,260,000 tonnes.

Facilities will be upgraded at the Krasnoyarsk, Bratsk, Sayanogorsk, Novokuznetsk and Irkutsk aluminium smelters.

RUSAL will increase slab production at two of the world's largest smelters, Krasnoyarsk and Bratsk, and at Sayanogorsk, to meet the high demand from the packaging and automotive industries. In 2012 the slab production at these smelters will increase by 83,000 tonnes, reaching 507,000 tonnes per year. Upgrades at Krasnoyarsk and Bratsk will include the smelters’ melt quality analyzers which will allow them to produce high quality slabs for lithographic plates and car bodies.

The Novokuznetsk aluminium smelter will broaden its production range to include extrusion bullets needed by the construction industry. In addition, Irkutsk aluminium smelter’s rolling mill will be upgraded in order to produce aluminium wire rod from rare-earth elements and transition metals alloys for the cable industry.

“By 2016 we plan to produce 1,930,000 tonnes of high value-added products at our Siberian smelters, in order to satisfy consumer’ demand. This modernization will result in RUSAL developing further relationships with the world's largest companies,” said UC RUSAL's Director for Aluminium Division East, Vladimir Polin.

In 2011 the Company announced plans to convert the production capacities of Aluminium Division West to high-value added production. For example, Volkhov aluminium smelter, Russia's oldest aluminium smelter, was converted to automotive alloys production last year.

On 16 February 2012, RUSAL will be hosting a roundtable with major research institutions, largest aluminium downstream producers and the Company's R&D experts, focusing on the alloy market, titled “Teaming Up With Consumers: UC RUSAL's New Approaches To Alloy Production.”