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INVESTORS / KRASNOYARSK
SMELTER MODERNISATION PROGRAMME
KRASNOYARSK SMELTER MODERNISATION PROGRAMME
To expand primary aluminium output and reduce the environmental impact of the
facility, UC RUSAL’s Engineering & Construction Division developed the
Krasnoyarsk smelter modernisation project which started in 2004 and is planned
till the end of 2008. It is a programme of unprecedented scale, investment,
scope, and impact. The modernisation of the Krasnoyarsk smelter encompasses the
application of the world's best practices and achievements to upgrade the
aluminium smelting technology and improve the facility's environmental
performance.
The programme includes the introduction of alumina point feeders into the
reduction potrooms; the installation of new gas scrubbers; the conversion to
the 'dry anode' technology; an increase of the amperage in the existing
reduction area, the modernisation of the cast houses and many other activities.
The total investment by UC RUSAL into the Krasnoyarsk smelter modernisation
project over 4 years has exceeded USD 300m.
The modernisation of the smelter has led to a reduction in specific harmful
emissions per tonne of aluminium produced. Hydrogen fluoride has been reduced
by 1.5 times; tar substances by 2.7 times, and benz(a)pyrene by 2.5 times.
Transition to 'dry anode' technology
The highlight of the programme was the full conversion of the Krasnoyarsk
aluminium smelter to the more environmentally friendly 'dry anode' technology.
In 2008, the all the pots at the smelter (8 reduction lines) were converted to
the 'dry anode' technology and pilot-scale industrial trials were commenced on
process lines No. 3 and 5 of the Anode Paste Plant. In addition, the
modernisation has delivered improvements by the replacement of 13 stud pulling
cranes in reduction potrooms, the renovation of the automatic computer control
system and the commissioning of new burners.
Introduction of the best-practice technology has enabled the smelter to reduce
tar and benz(a)pyrene emissions and improve working conditions in the reduction
area. Significant reduction of use of raw materials and energy will provide for
positive economic effect. The total investment committed to the project
exceeded USD 29m.
After the programme was launched at the Krasnoyarsk smelter, it has been
proliferated to the world's largest aluminium smelter at Bratsk.
Implementation of dry gas scrubbing system
Another important strand of the modernisation was the construction of new gas
scrubbers. 19 gas scrubbing stations equipped with an extra dry treatment stage
are currently running at the smelter, with four of them launched in 2007 and
another three in 2008. As a result of the systems installed, some of which were
put in before this modernization programme, all the smelter’s chimneys have now
stopped emitting smoke.. All the new scrubbing equipment was constructed using
the world's leading gas scrubbing technology developed by the internationally
renowned Alstom company, which enables the smelter to maintain the maximum
technically achievable fluorides capture level of up to 99%. By comparison, the
efficiency of older gas scrubbing equipment can only just reach 80% for some
indicators.
Mounting of automated alumina point feeders
In August 2004, the Krasnoyarsk aluminium smelter embarked on the installation
of automated alumina point feeders. In 2008, all the Soederberg pots in Potroom
No. 21 were equipped with point feeders. Today the most illustrative outcome is
the reduction of specific harmful emissions per tonne of aluminium produced –
by 10% for hydrogen fluoride, and by 30% for tar substances and benz(a)pyrene.
The new feeding system that is mounted on pots enables the smelter to reduce
the anode effect frequency and, as a result, significantly drive down PFC
emissions. The measurements taken at the smelter in September 2007 by
specialists from the International Aluminium Institute showed an 80% reduction
in specific PFC emissions against the levels recorded in 1990.
Krasnoyarsk is the first smelter in the Russian aluminium industry to be fully
equipped with alumina point feeders. The complete conversion of the smelter to
point feeders cost USD30m.
Today, all the twenty four reduction potrooms of the smelter have been equipped
with automated point feeders. The system feeds alumina to the pot through a
small opening using a set programme, drastically improving the ambient
environment in the reduction potrooms and driving down the number of pot
tending vehicles along with reducing the probability of accidents.
Greening of RUSAL Krasnoyarsk buffer zone
Up until 2011, UC RUSAL will invest as much as RUR 47m into the implementation
of the approved greening and landscaping programme within the smelter’s buffer
zone. The funds provided so far have been used to reclaim 160.9 hectares of the
buffer zone to remove uncontrolled rubbish dumps and reforest the territory. As
part of the planned programme, more than 2,000 seedlings of mountain ash-trees,
elm-trees and lilac were planted on the territory adjacent to the smelter over
the last two years. The total area of the smelter buffer zone is 3696.4
hectares, of which over 1,500 hectares are covered by facilities and roads with
another 1,115 hectares designated as 'green belt'.
In November 2006, the Krasnoyarsk aluminium smelter became the first RUSAL's
facility to open an Environmental Information Centre. Its primary task is not
only to heighten awareness among the general public of the environmental
activities conducted by the smelter, but also to get feedback from the
residents of Krasnoyarsk to allow their views to be taken into account during
the development of environment protection programmes and projects planned by
the smelter. The Centre regularly arranges 'telephone advice lines' with local
residents, which give everyone in the Krasnoyarsk region an opportunity to ask
specialists at the Centre any question about the environmental programmes run
by the smelter. Answers to the most frequent questions addressed to the
production facility are published on a regular basis in the Environmental
Information Centre newsletter.
Efficiency improvement project at the Krasnoyarsk Aluminium Smelter
2006 saw the launch of the efficiency improvement project at Krasnoyarsk. Its
goal is to make the aluminium smelter top of the Key Performance Indicators
(KPIs); to establish a new organisational structure with a clearer division of
responsibilities and functions and to develop the company's Business System
Methodology so that it can be introduced at other UC RUSAL production
facilities in the future. One of the main targets of the project is a 20%
reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. To achieve this, the programme
introduced proprietary production systems, with components such as the
integration of best practice into routine activities, standardisation of
processes, control of compliance with work standards, and the reduction of time
needed for operations. Participants of the project have developed and are
implementing 54 standard operation practices (SOPs) documenting not only all
the KPIs, but also the environmental parameters. The experiment has already
yielded some landmark results: current efficiency – the main KPI for the
assessment of production efficiency – has risen in the experimental potrooms by
89.48% from the 88.44 % observed in standard potrooms. This result is planned
to be increased to 90.03% and proliferated to all the reduction potrooms of the
smelter.
The total amount of investment channeled into technical retooling of the
Krasnoyarsk smelter in 2007 exceeded USD85m, with USD70m committed to the
environmental modernisation of the facility. The total amount of emissions from
the Krasnoyarsk smelter over the last year went down by 4,980 tonnes. Since the
beginning of the modernisation process in 2004, emissions from the smelter have
been reduced by more than 18% (16,800 tonnes).
It should be noted that the activity of the smelter aimed at alleviation of the
environmental tension was highly appreciated by international experts and
confirmed by the ISO 14001 certificate.
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