OREANDA-NEWS. UC RUSAL (SEHK: 486, Euronext: RUSAL/RUAL, Moscow Exchange: RUALR/RUALRS), world's largest aluminium producer, is pleased to announce the start of rig testing on the industrial smelting pot, based on the revolutionary and unique inert anode technology.

Rig tests are being held on a 3kA amperage in Krasnoyarsk. For inert anode technology the Company has developed a completely new pod scheme.

Upon success of the rig tests, RUSAL plans to begin production tests on its inert anode pots in 2015 at the Krasnoyarsk aluminium smelter (KrAZ). From 2017 the Company may start shifting its existing smelting capacities to inert anode technology, starting at KrAZ.

The current electrolysis process generates CO, CO2 and poly-aromatics emissions to the atmosphere whereas the new generation pots produce a tonne of oxygen for every 900 kg of aluminium produced. Scaled to KrAZ this figure will reach 900,000 tonnes of oxygen per year. The burning speed of an inert anode is 300 to 400 times slower than that of a traditional carbon anode and discharges only 1-2 cm per year, compared to 1-2 cm per day by the carbon anode.

The project joined Skolkovo foundation in June 2011. Planned co-financing of the inert anode-based aluminium production research from the foundation amounts to RUR750 million till 2015. To date, RUR130 million has already been provided by Skolkovo.

Viktor Mann, UC RUSAL Technical Director said: “Inert anode technology may have a revolutionary impact on the global aluminium industry. Each stage of development brings us closer to a technological breakthrough and we hope to begin switching our smelters, working on the Soederberg technology, to inert anode technology in the next five years, as we build on our leading position in the industry.”