UC RUSAL has invested over $25 mln

UC RUSAL announces the launch of a second dry gas scrubber as part of the fifth potline of reduction cells currently being constructed at the Irkutsk Aluminium Smelter. The first gas scrubber system was installed in December 2007, before the launch of the fifth potline. The combined cost of the two gas scrubbers is over $25 mln. The gas scrubbers, which are capable of processing gas from the new electrolysis workshops, provide a 99.5% level of efficiency.

The second gas scrubber system will support the third and fourth potrooms at the fifth potline of reduction cells at the Irkutsk Aluminium Smelter. The fifth potline has 101 reduction cells in the first and the second plotlines already online. All 200 reduction cells will be online in the new potrooms by the end of the year.

The gas scrubber system was designed by specialists at SibVAMI, which is part of UC RUSAL. The gas scrubber uses the dry method of gas treatment, based on alumina’s ability to capture fluoride compounds and electrolysis dust. In total, the gas scrubber is capable of purifying over 1 million cubic meters of reduction gases in one hour while gathering up to 24 tonnes of fluoride alumina per hour, which is then returned into production.  

In addition, the fifth potroom complex includes a silicon rectifier, anode rodding shop and various infrastructure facilities. The launch of the fifth potline of reduction cells has a capacity of about 170,000 tn of aluminum per annum. This will enable a 50% increase in production at the Irkutsk Aluminium Smelter.