RUSAL Smelter technologies

RUSAL owns proprietary energy efficient smelter technologies RA-300, RA-400 and RA-500.

Back in the early 2000s, the aluminium reduction technologies, used by the Russian smelters, didn’t meet the international benchmarks in efficiency, dragging down production development. RUSAL’s Engineering and Technology Centre, established in 2002, was faced with a task to design a new energy efficient reduction cell. The project was completed in a record-breaking time – in December 2003, a new RA-300 cell, operating at 300kA, was commissioned at RUSAL’s Sayanogorsk smelter.

In 2004, RUSAL’s Engineering and Technology Centre commenced a project to create a smelting pot that would operate at 400 kA, ensuring a further surge in efficiency. The new RA-400 cell was commissioned in 2005. Compared to its predecessor, the RA-400 cell consumes less metal, has better-sealed folding shelters and lower dimensions. The RA-400 cells will be deployed at the Taishet smelter, which is now being constructed by RUSAL.

The development of the latest generation of RUSAL’s proprietary smelter technologies – RA-500 – was started in 2005 and completed in 2010.

Key advantages of RUSAL production technologies:

• High energy efficiency and environmental stewardship;
• Low CAPEX: the use of the RA-300 technology for the construction of RUSAL’s Khakas aluminium smelter cut the capital costs to USD 2,500 per the tonne of capacity, which is more than twice lower than the average greenfield costs in the West;
• Low OPEX: reduced consumption of energy and raw materials, increased stability of the technological processes and high labor efficiency;
• Long lifespan of reduction cells.