Rusal participates in federal ‘Clean Air’ project

Rusal participates in Russia’s federal ‘Clean Air’ project and intents to annually inform the public about its contributions to improving air quality.

The Clean Air project aims to reduce the emissions of pollutants into the atmosphere in 12 large industrial centres.

According to Irina Bakhtina, Rusal’s head of Sustainability, three entities of the company have participated in the federal Clean Air project: the Krasnoyarsk, Bratsk and Novokuznetsk Aluminium Smelters. “Programmes to improve the environmental efficiency of Rusal’s smelters are included in the comprehensive plans of Krasnoyarsk, Bratsk and Novokuznetsk to reduce emissions into the atmosphere.“

The main activities implemented by Rusal, including those within the scope of the Clean Air project, are the introduction of electrolysis using the EcoSoderberg technology, the introduction of a technology for using a new anode mass with a lower content of harmful substances, the new construction and modernization of existing gas purification plants, as well as a whole range of other measures to optimize production parameters.

For Rusal, reducing atmospheric emissions is one of the priorities in the field of environmental protection, enshrined in the company’s Environmental Policy. In 2020, the company reduced the emission of pollutants by more than 33% in comparison to 2008 levels.

According to a report from the Ministry of Natural Resources of the Russian Federation, on the state and environmental protection in the Russian Federation in 2020, the total volume of pollutant emissions in Russia decreased by 5% compared to 2019 and amounted to 21.5m tonnes. This value is the minimum for the observation period from 2010 to 2020, and was one of the main reasons for reducing the level of atmospheric air pollution alongside the implementation of the Clean Air federal project. For example, the 2020 data on the values of pollutant emissions from stationary sources in 12 large industrial centres included in the Clean Air project show a decrease in emissions compared to 2019 in six cities. The largest relative decrease was recorded in Krasnoyarsk, where one of Rusal’s largest assets, the Krasnoyarsk Aluminum Smelter, is located.