UC RUSAL presented its unique aluminum production technology based on the use of inert anodes to Mr Anatoly Chubais head of the state owned Russian Corporation of Nanotechnologies.

As per report, Mr Chubais visited the Krasnoyarsk aluminum smelter and a pilot area of RUSAL’s Engineering and Technology Centre in Krasnoyarsk. As part of the visit, the management of the 2 companies discussed possible cooperation in the inert anode project.

The inert anode technology is expected to drastically improve the environmental performance of aluminum smelters, as carbon will no longer be utilized in aluminum production. Today, each tonne of aluminum requires up to 500 kilogram of anode paste whose oxidization 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 million annually. The cost of green field projects for inert anode smelters is also expected to be around 30% lower as compared to the traditional production technology.

The report said that 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 aluminum 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.