RUSAL to launch innovative wire rod production for cable industry

RUSAL, the world’s largest aluminium producer, is pleased to announce that the Company's production of rare-earth and transition metals aluminium alloys to create wire rod for the cable industry, has completed the R&D stage, facilities setup and entered production.

The technology to enable the production of cable alloys based on aluminium with an increased resistance to temperature and, as a result, with higher power transmission capacity, was developed jointly with scientists from Siberian Federal University, Ufa State Aviation Technical University and the Chemistry Faculty of Moscow State University. The initial trials were carried out at Tomsk cable plant.

By the end of 2010 the project had been awarded a RUR110 million grant for high-tech productions from Russian Ministry of Science and Education and RUSAL has contributed a further RUR143 million to the project.

A multifunctional casting, rolling and pressing facility is currently being installed at Irkutsk aluminium smelter which is capable of producing 2,200 tonnes of different sorts of wire rod from aluminium alloys with rare-earth and transition metals per month. This product is highly in demand by the cable industry.

“Cables made from the new wire rod have much better characteristics. Their durability and resistance to temperature is about 50% higher than normal ones have. Regarding the significant deterioration of the Russian power grids, new cables will benefit not only metals and cables producers but also grid and power companies. RUSAL's product is also significantly cheaper than its US or European counterparts. We expect this product will be able to partially supersede the expensive copper cables and broaden aluminium application limits”, commented UC RUSAL’s Technical Director Viktor Mann.