The Engineering and Technology Centre (RUSAL ETC) was established in 2002 in Krasnoyarsk, and has become the Company's main scientific and technology base. The ETC implements R&D projects in the field of of reduction, casting and alloy technologies, the development of innovative equipment, the environment, and production waste recycling.
The ETC is based on:
- the engineering and research units of aluminium smelters;
- researchers from Russian institutes and universities;
- specialists of large design and engineering companies.
Today, the ETC has got in place:
- highly-skilled personnel comprising 40 candidates and doctors of science, who are a part of more than 100 researchers, designers and experts in various fields;
- scientific and research laboratories in the field of aluminium and alumina production, casting;
- mathematical modelling of physical media and operating conditions for equipment and mechanisms;
- capacities for process equipment design;
- an engineering unit;
- a methodological framework and a constantly improving project management experience (EPCM);
- pilot productions at the smelters/refineries in Krasnoyarsk, Krasnoturyinsk, Bratsk, Novokuznetsk and Nikolayev, a pilot high-amperage technology potroom in Sayanogorsk, a pilot casthouse in Krasnoyarsk;
- pilot productions of inert anodes and inert anode-based productions of aluminium;
- intangible assets comprising more than 350 patents, certificates and applications for inventions and utility models;
- prototypes and computer programmes, including international applications and patents.
Key developments:
- The creation of RA-300, RA-400 technologies;
- RA-550 technology;
- Energy-efficient pot designs;
- EcoFriendy pot lining technology;
- EXTRUFORM equipment to produce hard types of wire rod;
- Alumochloride technology of alumina production (Liner Technology);
- Production of aluminium-scandium alloys and master alloys;
- Production of innovative tooling for alloy casting;
- Production of EcoPitches for aluminium production electrodes;
- Baked anode production technology;
- A 4th generation process control system (using Big Data processing, the Virtual Cell digital process twin, and a system of current distribution among anodes);
- Inert anode pots;
- Two-stage treatment of fumes from the reduction process, producing a product from sulphur;
- EcoSoderberg technology;
- Environmental upgrades at the Krasnoyarsk Aluminium Smelter;
- Increasing the effectiveness of alumina refining technology ;
- Increasing the effectiveness of silicon production technology;
- Creation of value-added products manufacturing technologies;
- Retrofitting of calciners (Krasnoyarsk Aluminium Smelter, Bratsk Aluminium Smelter);
- Organisation of annealed wire rod production from aluminium-zirconium alloy (Irkutsk Aluminium Smelter);
- Installation of pelletising machines (Krasnoyarsk Aluminium Smelter and Bratsk Aluminium Smelter);
- Installation of ALTEK presses (Krasnoyarsk Aluminium Smelter and Bratsk Aluminium Smelter);
- Upgrading of the BROCHOT line to produce alloys (Khakas Aluminium Smelter);
- Implementation of slotted anodes (Sayanogorsk Aluminium Smelter).
In 2015, the Casting Centre was created based on the ETC, the main task of which is to manage and maintain UC RUSAL's leading position in aluminium and aluminium alloy processing and casting technologies. Technologies for casting new and promising aluminium-based alloys are tested at the Pilot Industrial Casting Complex (PICC), which was commissioned by the ETC in 2019. A key objective of the Complex is to organise learning, hold training and skill-raising courses for process engineers and operators of the Company's casthouses and its partners.