Mining’s old guard needs strong medicine
A new report details subpar investor returns in the mining industry over the last decade, particularly big cap diversified companies which have not adapted to new realities.
UC RUSAL reports it has successfully launched test production of the key component of a unique environmentally sound aluminium production technology – colloidal anode paste. The total investment in this project will amount to $25 million. The main goal of this project, developed by the UC RUSAL Engineering and Construction Division, is the development of the ideal Soederberg reduction cell, which minimises environmental impact on the consumption of raw materials and matches the production efficiency of pre-baked anode technology. In addition to using the colloidal anode, this technology brings a number of technological and technical innovations, which will enable Soederberg technology to achieve the ecological parameters of the alternative pre-bake technology. The research, development and testing of the technology began in 2006 at UC RUSAL’s Krasnoyarsk smelter. In April 2008, test production of colloidal paste was started. Today, 20 reduction cells at the Krasnoyarsk smelter use colloidal anode paste. When the testing is completed, the technology will be implemented at one of potrooms at the smelter and later it will be rolled out across five potrooms. In the period 2010-2015, the technology will be introduced at all UC RUSAL smelters that use Soederberg technology.The new colloidal anode technology will become the second stage of the ecological modernisation of the Krasnoyarsk and Bratsk aluminium smelters, the world’s largest aluminium smelters using Soederberg technology. The technology will be also implemented at Irkutsk, Novokuznetsk and Volgograd aluminium smelters, where the ecological modernisation and transition to colloidal anode will be made in a single stage.
When this unique technology is introduced at the Krasnoyarsk smelter, the hydrofluoric emissions will be cut to 0.24 kg/t from 0.7 kg/t previously, fluorine emissions to 0.6 kg/t from 1.62 kg/t, CO2 emissions to 53.5 kg/t from 78.9 kg/t, and benzo(a)pyrene emissions to 0.001 kg/t from 0.002 kg/t. The benzo(a)pyrene emissions levels will meet the requirements of the Russian laws and recommendations of OSPAR 2010.
