Russian aluminium producer Rusal said on Friday it had launched production at its long-stalled Taishet aluminium smelter in Siberia.
Hong-Kong listed Rusal, the world’s largest aluminium producer outside China, started work on the Taishet project in 2007. The project was mothballed in 2009 due to weak aluminium prices, dusted off in 2017 as prices recovered and then saw a chain of other delays.
Rusal finished construction of the first stage of the plant – which it sees as the world’s most advanced low-carbon aluminium production – with annual capacity of 428,500 tonnes and started its testing on Friday, it said in a statement.
Hydro-powered Taishet is built with Rusal’s own RA-400 electrolysers technology and will become the model for upgrade of technology at Rusal’s four other smelters in Siberia by 2030.