OREANDA-NEWS. UC RUSAL (SEHK: 486, Euronext: RUSAL/RUAL, Moscow Exchange: RUALR/RUALRS), a leading, global aluminium producer announces a USD 3 mln project aimed at environmental modernization of the carbon area which includes production of anode paste (the anode paste plant, APP) at its Krasnoyarsk Aluminium Smelter (KrAZ).

The engineering stage will be completed in 2013, and new equipment will be delivered to the production site in 2014. The APP upgrade project will result in a 10% reduction of nitric and carbonic oxide emissions, and it will also cut inorganic dust emissions by 20%. RUSAL raised the funding for the APP upgrade project after implementing an activity focused on reducing perfluorocarbon (PFC) emissions at KrAZ which was planned in line with Article 6 of the Kyoto Protocol to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.

RUSAL also envisages to invest over USD 6 million in a project to improve sealing of its pitch storage tanks and furnaces at KrAZ and dramatically reduce benzapyrene and tar emissions during the anode paste production process.

The project to reduce PFC emissions was launched at Krasnoyarsk Aluminium Smelter in 2006 which helped to cut PFC emissions by 35% from 2008 through 2012.

RUSAL's partner on this project is Carbon Trade & Finance (a joint venture set up by Gazprombank and Commerzbank), which acted as the buyer of ERUs and supported various activities on the joint project. In 2010 KrAZ was among 58 bidders in the second carbon credits tender announced by Sberbank of Russia.