United Company RUSAL

Infobox_Company
company_name = OAO Russian Aluminium
company_
company_type = Private
company_slogan = The Industry of Growth
foundation = 27 March 2007
location = flagicon|RUS Moscow
key_people = Alexander Bulygin, Chief Executive Officer
num_employees = 100,000
revenue = ~ US$14.3 bn 2007
industry = Mining
Metallurgy
products = Aluminium
Aluminium alloys
Bauxite
Alumina
homepage = http://www.rusal.com/

United Company Rusal ( _ru. Российский алюминий)) is the world's largest aluminium company. United Company RUSAL accounts for almost 12.5% of entire global output of primary aluminium and 16% of the world’s alumina production. The United Company is a result of the merger of RUSAL ( _ru. Русский алюминий)), SUAL, and the alumina assets of Glencore, finished in March 2007. The company operates in 17 countries on 5 continents and employs 100,000 people across its international operations and offices. [http://www.rusal.com/index.php?lang=eng&topic=1&subtopic=204]

History

Russia's bauxite reserves are located primarily in the Northern Ural Mountain area. The bauxite mines operated by Sevuralboksitruda in that region currently account for over 70% of Russia's bauxite assets. [http://www.mbendi.co.za/indy/ming/baux/as/ru/p0005.htm] During the 1960-80s, a large aluminium industry grew up in Russia based on cheapest energy of Siberian hydro power plants. Two world's largest aluminium smelters are located in Russia, each with capacity of 1 mln tpa. Despite stable local production of bauxites and alumina, for to meet the needs of industry large amount of feedstock is imported annually.

In the 1990s, when the era of privatization began in Russia, Roman Abramovich, the Russian billionaire and current owner of English football club Chelsea F.C., began acquiring mining and processing facilities, including the metals assets of billionaire Oleg Deripaska, and merged them to form Rusal in 2000. The modern, unified company is now the largest privately-held aluminium company in the world. [http://www.rusal.com/about/us/]

However, in 2003, Roman Abramovich sold his 25% stake in RusAl for about $1.8 billion back to Oleg Deripaska, who already owned 50 percent. [http://www.themoscowtimes.com/stories/2003/10/06/043.html] [http://www.sptimes.ru/index.php?action_id=2&story_id=18681]

The 25 percent stake Boris Berezovsky and Badri Patarkatsishvili held in RusAl was sold between 2003 and 2004. [http://www.sptimesrussia.com/index.php?action_id=2&story_id=115]

On 9 October 2006, Rusal, SUAL Group and Swiss commodities trader Glencore announced their merger. SUAL is a large aluminium company that had previously been Rusal's primary competitor in Russia. The merger agreement was completed on 27 March 2007. [http://www.rusal.com/index.php?lang=eng&topic=5&subtopic=21&month=3&newsid=32804] [http://mosnews.com/money/2006/10/09/aluminiummerger.shtml]

As of Jun 21, 2007, a controlling interest in United Company RUSAL is owned by En+ Group, an energy and aluminium business owned by Basic Element, which is Oleg Deripaska's investment firm [cite news |title=Russia's Basic Element says 2006 revenues up 40.5 pct |url=http://uk.reuters.com/article/oilRpt/idUKL2152759820070621 |publisher=Reuters UK |date=2007-06-21 |accessdate=2007-11-15 ] .

Operations

Russia

Rusal owns and operates 4 aluminium smelters and 3 alumina processors in Russia:
*Bratsk Aluminium Plant, Bratsk
*Krasnoyask Aluminium Plant, Krasnoyarsk
*Novokuznekst Aluminium Plant, Novokuznetsk
*Sayanogorsk Aluminium Plant, Sayanogorsk

*Achinsk Alumina Refinery
*Boksitogorsk Alumina Refinery

Ukraine

*Nikolaev Alumina Refinery

Armenia

*RUSAL ARMENAL aluminum foil mill, Yerevan. Formerly known as the Kanaker aluminum smelter.

Overseas

Guinea

*Alumina Company of Guinea (ACG) - Friguia alumina production facilities
*Compagnie des Bauxites de Kindia - development of the Debele bauxite deposit
*Compagnie de Bauxite et d'Alumine de Dian - in Dian Dian

Nigeria

*Aluminium Smelter Company of Nigeria (ALSCON) - Smelter in Akwa Ibom state of Nigeria

Guyana

*Bauxite Company of Guyana

Australia

*Queensland Alumina Refinery - minority ownership

See also

*Aluminium in Russia
*Aluminium in Africa
*Aluminium in Guinea
*List of alumina refineries

References

External links

* [http://www.rusal.com/ Rusal en icon ru icon]
* [http://www.mbendi.co.za/indy/ming/baux/as/ru/p0005.htm MBendi:Mining:Bauxite:Asia:Russia]
* [http://www.mineweb.net/base_metals/293902.htm Mineweb article on merger with SUAL]
* [http://forums.mineweb.net/viewtopic.php?t=146 Mineweb Discussion Board]