Krasnoyarsk scientists propose RUSAL to transfer the bauxite residues to them for processing

Siberians are ready to build furnaces and recycle the red mud remaining after the processing of bauxite. The new technology, they argue, will produce cheap iron, rare earth metals and silica foam, which enjoys popularity in Europe throughout various industries. The project was supported by the Sverdlovsk authorities during a meeting of all parties concerned in Kamensk-Uralsky, but the Chairman of the Regional Government, Denis Pasler, believes that it would be difficult to implement due to high inflation and the specific business environment in Russia.

UC RUSAL created about 14 million tons of waste each year until recently, of which more than 2 million accounted for production of the Bogoslovsky and Uralsky aluminium plants located in the Sverdlovsk region. Red mud containing 30% aluminium and 50% iron not only is advantageous for environmentalists, but also businessmen, too. The necessity of recycling stockpiles has been talked about for a while now, but nothing has ever really come of this: scientists can not yet offer the technology for comprehensive waste management, since extracting individual elements is not profitable.

The methods on offer in terms of the disposal of red mud vary significantly: both magnetic separation as well as desalinization have their flaws - leaving behind a new type of waste. The head of the department of Krasnoyarsk Scientific Centre, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Vyacheslav Pavlov, told Denis Pasler that the team of scientists headed by academician Vasilii Shabanov had developed a waste-free technology for the recycling of red mud.

K. Demeshonok informed the representatives of UC RUSAL, that upon utilization of the furnace mixture about 60 megawatts of electricity will be generated, which is enough for an electric arc furnace and rolling mill. Accordingly, with a complete production cycleyou will not have to buy electricity on the market. The entrepreneur is confident of the project's profitability, although he acknowledged that the calculations are very preliminary in nature: the issue with raw materials is not yet resolved and the location of future production is not determined, carrying out a techno-economical feasibility study is pointless.

D. Pasler was cautious with the conclusions. "You have to reduce your volumes. The recycle of any wastes results in future prospects. The most important thing is technology and cost. It is possible to enter into an agreement to transfer the required volume of waste with RUSAL. We are ready to go forward with this. In that case, if there is such a project that would address all of the environmental and financial issues, the regional authorities would contribute to promoting the project "- said Minister Denis Pasler.