RUSAL’s first aluminium smelter fully transitions to modern Russian gas cleaning systems

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RUSAL’s Irkutsk Aluminium Smelter (IrkAZ) has become the first aluminium plant in the industry to fully transition to modern Russian gas cleaning systems. Investments in the project amounted to approximately USD 40 million.  RUSAL developed the gas cleaning units. The company's proprietary solution not only outperforms foreign counterparts but also delivers efficiency over ten times higher than previous-generation gas cleaning systems.

The Irkutsk Aluminium Smelter has commissioned its sixth RUSAL Dry Gas Treatment Unit (DGTU), making it the first in the industry to fully adopt modern Russian gas cleaning technology. RUSAL’s Engineering Department developed the technology and equipment for these units in-house.

RUSAL considers the modernisation of dry gas treatment systems at its aluminium smelters to be one of its most significant environmental initiatives, aiming to reduce the industry’s environmental footprint. Previously, the company relied on the best Western technologies for modernisation. In 2016, RUSAL decided to develop its own solution.

By 2018, it had already begun supplying RUSAL DGTUs to its aluminium smelters. These units are more effective and reliable than foreign counterparts and outperform previous-generation technologies by an order of magnitude.

Construction of the Russian-made units at IrkAZ began in 2018. Investments in the six units, automated raw material transportation systems, and related gas treatment infrastructure totalled approximately USD 40 million. RUSAL is also installing DGTUs at the Bratsk and Novokuznetsk Aluminium Smelters.

RUSAL DGTUs capture more than 99.5 per cent of fluoride compounds, dust, and tar substances contained in electrolytic gases. By comparison, the electrostatic precipitators used before the modernisation captured up to 95 per cent of these substances.

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As a result, the modern units are over ten times more efficient than previous-generation filters. The new units also return the captured fluoride, a valuable raw material for electrolysis, together with alumina, back into the production process.

RUSAL’s proprietary state-of-the-art equipment costs 30 per cent to 40 per cent less than the best Western alternatives due to a 50 per cent smaller installation footprint, a 40 per cent reduction in metal consumption, fewer modules and equipment units, and a range of other technical optimisation solutions.

Note: This article has been shared by RUSAL and has been published by AL Circle with its original information without any modifications or edits to the core subject/data.