Moscow, 15 July 2008 – UC RUSAL, the world’s largest aluminium and alumina producer, is pleased to announce that the Volgograd Aluminium Smelter (VgAZ) has put into operation a dry scrubber system, which is the key element of the modernisation programme at the plant. The new system removes 99.5% of emissions. The investment into the new gas treatment system exceeded USD 12 million.


The new dry gas scrubbers absorb over 250,000 cubic metres of gases and dust from reduction cells per hour and will replace 15 foam scrubbers at VgAZ. The new scrubbers, produced by a Canadian company, provide for the minimal level of emissions. The new technology, which is a widely applied international practice, uses a specific feature of alumina – the key raw material for aluminium production – to adsorb fluorine and its compounds as well as tarry matters. The dry scrubbers remove practically all pollutants, and alumina enriched with fluorine returns back to the production circle.


The modernization programme at VgAZ aimed at enhancing the ecological performance of the smelter already included switching all reduction cells to dry anode technology, installation of new filters, construction and putting into operation of a solid waste yard. By 2009, plenum ventilation system will be reconstructed.


The reduction of the environmental impact is a key priority for UC RUSAL. Since 2000 the enterprises, which now make up UC RUSAL, have invested over USD 1 billion in environmental initiatives. In 2007-2013 the company will invest approximately USD 1.4 billion in its ecological modernisation. UC RUSAL has developed a comprehensive modernisation programme for its aluminium assets in order to significantly reduce emissions and provide for increased production efficiency. This programme is implemented at two world’s largest aluminium smelters - Bratsk and Krasnoyarsk plants as well as at smaller-scale production facilities including Irkutsk, Novokuznetsk, Bogoslovsk, and Ural smelters where the projects are currently underway to switch part of production to pre-bake anode technology. As a result of this programme the company plans to reduce emissions by 1.5 times by 2015.


In 2007 UC RUSAL signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the United Nations Development Programme to accelerate greenhouse gas emissions reduction efforts among industrial companies. UC RUSAL has been the first company in Russia to have joined UNDP in its effort to create a global network of projects driven by the single goal of addressing the challenge of climate change.


About UC RUSAL


United Company RUSAL (www.rusal.com) is the global leader in the aluminium industry, accounting for approximately 12% and 15% of global production of aluminium and alumina respectively. The company was founded in March 2007 through the merger of RUSAL, SUAL, and the alumina assets of Glencore. United Company RUSAL sells its products in 70 countries worldwide and employs 100,000 people in 19 countries, across 5 continents. The Volgograd Aluminium Smelter (VgAZ) with production capacity of over 160,000 tonnes per annum, is the seventh largest smelter in Russia.


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