Since 2017, RUSAL has been implementing a Low-Cost Energy-Saving Solutions Program for electrolysers. Each year, between 300 and 1,300 electrolysers have been converted to energy-efficient configurations. As of now, these designs have been installed in more than 5,500 electrolysers across five of RUSAL’s aluminium smelters.
By the end of 2024, annual electricity savings from the upgraded designs exceeded 500 mln kWh for the first time, which in monetary terms amounted to over $21.2 mln. Since the program’s launch, RUSAL has saved more than 2.5 billion kWh of electricity.
“The transition to energy-efficient electrolyser designs directly improves both the environmental sustainability and economic performance of our smelters. The program has proven highly effective: we’ve achieved annual savings exceeding 500 mln kilowatt-hours — equivalent to the yearly consumption of a small city. What’s more, these results have been achieved without capital investments: the solutions developed by our engineers are implemented during scheduled equipment maintenance and do not require production shutdowns. This is a prime example of how RUSAL’s technological innovations provide real-time impact,” said Head of RUSAL Engineering Department.
This initiative is one of the most extensive projects of the RUSAL Engineering Department in the aluminium industry. The improved, energy-efficient designs optimise the magnetohydrodynamic properties of electrolysers, reduce resistance, increase productivity, and thereby lower electricity consumption — all without requiring significant investment.
The program does not apply to RUSAL’s newest smelters built using the company’s latest high-amperage RA-300 and RA-400 technologies: the Khakas, Boguchany, and Taishet Aluminium Smelters. These electrolyser models, developed by the RUSAL Engineering Department, are inherently energy-efficient.
Note: This article has been issued by RUSAL and has been published by AL Circle with its original information without any modifications or edits to the core information.
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