UC RUSAL announced the launch of environmental modernization at 4 of its plants. The total investment into these projects is expected to amount to RUR 5.5 billion.

New environmental projects have started at three Urals plants the Bogoslovsky Aluminum Smelter, the Urals Aluminum Smelter the Urals Silicon Plant and at the Achinsk Alumina Refinery in Siberia.

At AAR gas purification systems of sintering furnaces 5 and 6 will be reconstructed and a new waste storage area will be created. After the reconstruction, gas purification efficiency will reach 99.8% and the new waste storage area will enable the refinery to extend the waste storage terms up to 20 years in compliance with all the environmental law requirements. Total environmental investment at AAR will exceed RUR 2.5 billion.

A dry gas purification system is to be implemented at the Company’s Urals Silicon Plant which is expected to result in 150 fold decrease in mineral dust emissions with SiO2 70%. The estimated project expenditures will amount to RUR 650 million. The Urals Aluminum Smelter is going to reconstruct the waste storage field 2 and reconstruct waste storage field 3 to prolong its service up to 2027. The cost of the project is expected to be RUR 750 million. An extended RUR 1.5 billion waste storage field will also be built at the Bogoslovsky Aluminum Smelter.

The realization of environmental projects will enable RUSAL to establish a base for future growth and potential production increase according to environmental standards as the world's demand for aluminum continues to rise.

Mr Andrey Volvenkin director of Engineering and Construction division of RUSAL said that “RUSAL is committed to reducing the environmental impact in all of its operations areas. During the global downturn some major projects were temporarily suspended. Since the market recovery, RUSAL has been able to focus on its environmental projects. I want to emphasize that these are the first post-crisis large-scale environmental projects started by the Company. Environmental programs are scheduled to take place at all of the Company’s subsidiaries.”