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Russia's Rusal will produce alumina from Siberian clay instead of imported bauxites

Rusal is a leading global aluminum producer and one of the world’s major producers of alumina

© ITAR-TASS/Alexander Kolbasov

MOSCOW, October 14. /TASS/. The globally largest aluminum producer Rusal is developing an acid technology of producing alumina [feedstock for aluminum - TASS] from non-bauxite raw materials, the company said on Wednesday. The technology will make possible to produce alumina from domestic kaolin clay instead of imported bauxites.

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Rusal plans to develop feasibility study for construction of an alumina refinery with the capacity over 1 mln tonnes a year after completion of the R&D stage.

"Russia is rich with kaolin clay. Discovered reserves will provide us with more than 200 years’ worth of production. The USA, Canada, China, Norway and Australia have been working for a long time on alumina production using non-bauxite raw materials (kaolins, ashes, etc.). New technologies are a strong competitive advantage, and no one would sell them aside," Rusal’s Technical Director Victor Mann said.

The new technology will significantly improve Rusal smelters’ economic efficiency thanks to the low cost of the material and the logistical cost reduction, the company reported. The technology also provides for the simultaneous production of a range of high demand products, including the ones based on the silicon oxide and rare-earth metals.

Rusal is a leading global aluminum producer and one of the world’s major producers of alumina.

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