OREANDA-NEWS. October 17, 2012. UC RUSAL (SEHK: 486; Euronext: RUSAL/RUAL; Moscow Exchange: RUALR/RUALRS), the world’s largest aluminium producer, announces the commencement of the pot shell installation at the Boguchansky (BEMO) aluminium smelter construction site. The Company expects to install all 168 pot shells needed to launch pot room #1 by the end of 2012.

Pot (cathode) shell is the structural component and the basis for the pots, which is to be followed by the refractory and carbon linings. 168 cutting-edge RA-300 pots are needed to reach 147,000 tonnes of aluminium annual output (pot room #1 project capacity). The installation of the first pot is planned for February 2013, with the first metal expected during 2013.

The BEMO aluminium smelter consists of two phases, both reaching 296,000 tonnes per year total capacity. Each phase includes two pot rooms, totaling 672 pots. The project also includes two dry gas cleaning systems, in-plant water recycling system (the first to be used within the Russian aluminium industry), and state of the art equipment by leading suppliers from US, France, Australia and Germany. The construction of the smelter will create 3,500 new jobs.

UC RUSAL in-house RA-300 pot has 2,442 kg per day aluminium production capacity. The construction is being funded via USD 1.5 billion project financing provided by Vnesheconombank (VEB) for the Phase 1 of the project.

Currently the construction is ongoing at 67 primary and auxiliary facilities, the pot rooms construction is 58% complete, cast house is 75% complete and the holding furnace is being installed.

Note: Pot shell weights 38 tonnes, the installed pot weights 277 tonnes.