UC Rusal opened the first phase of its Taishet aluminum smelter, one of the world’s most advanced low-carbon aluminum production plants. Based in Taishet, Siberia, Russia, the smelter combines state-of-the-art technologies and hydropower to produce low-carbon aluminum.
“The opening of our new low-carbon aluminum smelter in Taishet is an important milestone in Rusal’s journey to decarbonization, as we look to supply the world with low-carbon aluminum,” said Bernard Zonneveld, chairman of the board of directors at Rusal. “Our aluminum will have one of the lowest carbon footprints in the industry, helping to further strengthen our ties with customers who are leading the green revolution. Our smelter in Taishet will help to address the high global demand for low-carbon aluminum.”
With an overall cost of $1.69 billion, Taishet creates over 1,000 local jobs and is the third low-carbon aluminum smelter to be built by Rusal. The smelter operates using clean energy from Siberian hydroelectric power plants. Combined with modern gas cleaning equipment and a closed water circulation system, the smelter achieves a low level impact on the environment. The full scope the plant’s CO2 emissions will be one of the lowest in the industry.
During its first phase, the smelter is expected to produce 428,500 tons of aluminum per year. The aluminum produced in Taishet will be focused toward serving the extrusion and rolled products segments, helping to meet the high demand for low-carbon aluminum worldwide. Approximately one quarter of production will serve the domestic Russian market.
“Throughout the construction of the Taishet aluminum smelter, the most modern and environmentally friendly technologies that exist in the global aluminum industry were used, with technological processes almost 100% automated,” said Evgenii Nikitin, general director of Rusal. “We plan to replicate this model by building new low-carbon aluminum production plants on the site of facilities in Bratsk, Shelekhov, Krasnoyarsk, and Novokuznetsk, as part of our sustainable modernization, bringing us a step closer to our Net Zero target in 2050.”