ARMENAL foil-rolling plant to increase output by 7% this year

The Armenian-Russian ARMENAL foil-rolling plant in Yerevan said today it plans to increase output of foil by 7% this year to more than 26,000 tons.

ArmenAl, part of RUSAL, the world's largest aluminium and alumina producer, said in a statement it has committed to achieve new goals as its staff marked a professional holiday- the Day of Metallurgist.

"In 2011 we plan to increase production of foil by 7% for the first time and exceed the level of 26,000 tons. The share of defective output will be brought down to 3%. We will also optimize the technology for production of foil with a thickness less than 9 microns, and we will also have our quality management system certified to seek compliance with international standard ISO 9001:2008. Also an upgraded foil furnace Seco /Warwick will be installed until the end of the year,’ the plant said. ArmenAl CEO, Vyacheslav Sinelnikov, was quoted as saying that the staff has every reason to be sure that the goals set for 2011 will be achieved.

According to preliminary data, output growth in the first half of this year compared to the same period in 2010 grew by more than 8%. ArmenAl’s share in overall Armenian exports is over 8%. In connection with the professional holiday, tens of employees were awarded monetary prizes and letters of gratitude.

Currently the plant has 700 people on its payrolls, whose average monthly salary in the first half of 2011 was 250,000 drams, almost 11% higher than in 2010 and 2.2 times higher than the average wage in Armenia.

The ArmenAl foil rolling mill was founded in May 2000 on the basis of Kanaker aluminium smelter in Yerevan. It is one of the biggest production facilities in Armenia and is the only producer of aluminium foil in the Caucasus and Central Asian regions. On May 18th, 2000 the mill was integrated into United Company RUSAL. Together with two other foil mills, SAYANAL in the Russian republic of Khakasia and Urals Foil, ARMENAL forms the company’s Packaging Division.