RusAl aluminium output grows 2.5% in Q107

The United Company Russian Aluminium said Tuesday its aluminium output grew 2.5%, year-on-year, in the first quarter of 2007 to 999,415 metric tons.

The output of added value products increased 12.5% in January-March 2007 to 48% of aluminium production and foil manufacture grew 21.2% in the reporting period, RusAl said.

Alumina production was actually unchanged at 2.74 million metric tons while bauxite output fell 8.6% to 4.13 million metric tons, year-on-year, due to temporary mining shortages in Guinea and at the Middle Timan bauxite deposit in the Russian northeastern Perm region, RusAl said.

The united company employs 100,000 people in 17 countries on five continents. It exports products to 70 countries and accounts for about 12.5% of global aluminium and 16% of global alumina production.

"The active development of the sectors that constitute our major client base and the toughening of international environmental legislation offer more opportunities for the use of aluminium as a light metal in our key markets, such as the automotive industry, and secure stable growth in demand for our products," said Rusal chief executive Alexander Bulygin.

The company said that to meet market expectations, it is pursuing the implementation of five large construction projects, including the Boguchanskoye energy and metals complex, the Taishet Aluminium Smelter in the Irkutsk Region, a bauxite and alumina complex in the Komi Republic, and the move to full capacity at the Khakas aluminium smelter, commissioned in December.

The United Company Russian Aluminium (RusAl) was formed in March 2007 following the merger of Russia's aluminium giants RusAl, SUAL, and the alumina assets of Swiss-based Glencore.