Leading global aluminium producer Rusal has just announced the opening of the first phase of the world’s most advanced low-carbon aluminium production plant, Taishet Aluminium Smelter (TaAZ), in Taishet, Siberia, reinforcing the company’s commitment to the decarbonisation of its operations and consumer product chains.
Taishet has just hosted a ceremony to mark the opening of the plant, which was attended by the representative of the President of the Russian Federation in the Siberian Federal District Anatoly Seryshev, Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Victoria Abramchenko, Governor of Irkutsk Oblast Igor Kobzev, and Rusal CEO Evgeniy Nikitin.
This state-of-the-art smelter is one of the most environmentally friendly in the world, running on clean energy from Siberian hydroelectric power plants, which together with modern gas cleaning equipment and a closed water circulation system, has a low level impact on the environment. In addition, full-range CO2 emissions will be one of the lowest in the industry. Pre-operation checks and tests will begin today.
This is the third low-carbon aluminium smelter to be built by Rusal, at a total cost of more than $1.69 billion, creating more than 1,000 local jobs. Once fully operational, the smelter is expected to produce 428.5 thousand tonnes of low carbon aluminium per year during its first phase and will play a key role in the overall social and economic development of the city, with RUSAL fully committed to supporting local communities.
Sales of low-carbon aluminium produced at Taishet will focus on the extrusion and rolled products segments, which will help meet the high demand for low-carbon aluminium worldwide. Approximately a quarter of the production will be destined for the Russian domestic market.
Bernard Zonneveld, Chairman of the Board of Rusal, stresses that “the opening of our new low-carbon aluminium smelter in Taishet is an important milestone in RUSAL’s journey towards decarbonisation as we seek to supply the world with low-carbon aluminium. Our aluminium will have one of the lowest carbon footprints in the industry, which will help further strengthen our ties with customers leading the green revolution. Our smelter in Taishet will help address the high global demand for low-carbon aluminium.”
Evgenii Nikitin, Rusal’s CEO, adds that “during the construction of the Taishet Aluminium Smelter, the most modern and environmentally friendly technologies available in the world aluminium industry were used, with almost 100% automated technological processes. We plan to replicate this model by building new low-carbon aluminium production plants at the on-site facilities in Bratsk, Shelekhov, Krasnoyarsk and Novokuznetsk as part of our sustainable modernisation, bringing us one step closer to our Net Zero goal in 2050”.
