Russian Aluminum’s quarter century – on March 30, RUSAL celebrated its 25th anniversary!

By the standards of Russia’s metallurgical giants, RUSAL is a relatively young company. Some might note that many of Russia’s aluminum plants are over 50 years old, and the industry’s history in the country dates back to 1932, when the Volkhov Aluminum Plant produced the first industrial batch of aluminum. Others would argue that the creation of this aluminum giant, now among the world’s largest metallurgical companies, began in the 1990s (and there is truth to that). However, March 30, 2000, holds a special place in the historical calendar: this date is widely regarded as the birthday of Russian Aluminum, known today globally as RUSAL.

At the dawn of the new millennium, the merger of assets between Oleg Deripaska’s Siberian Aluminum and Roman Abramovich’s Millhouse Capital gave rise to the country’s largest aluminum company. This step was backed by approval from Russian government authorities, confirming the importance of consolidating industry enterprises into a unified structure for the nation’s economy. The history of Russian Aluminum is one of ambitious projects and bold decisions that enabled Russia, despite numerous challenges, to not only regain but surpass the USSR’s achievements in both the production volume of the “winged metal” and its place in the global industry.

An article detailing RUSAL’s 25 years journey, from its founding to its growth, will be published in the April issue of “Metal Supply & Sales” magazine.