RUSAL completes $300 mln Krasnoyarsk smelter upgrade

MOSCOW, Sept 10 (Reuters) - United Company RUSAL, the world's largest aluminium producer, has completed a $300 million upgrade of its Krasnoyarsk plant aimed at making the smelter more environmentally friendly, the company said on Thursday. Krasnoyarsk, which came on stream in 1964, is located in Siberia and is the world's second-largest smelter after another RUSAL plant, Bratsk. The Krasnoyarsk smelter, sometimes known as KrAZ, produced more than 1 million tonnes of aluminium in 2008. Most RUSAL smelters use old Soderberg technology, which is being phased out globally in favour of more environmentally friendly pre-baked anode technology. RUSAL has developped a "Clean Soderberg" modernisation programme aimed at reducing the environmental impact of its plants and improving the efficiency of their smelting facilities. "We believe in the great potential of Soderberg pots, which represent over 60 percent of global aluminium production," Victor Mann, RUSAL's technology development director, said in a statement. "This Clean Soderberg project of unprecedented size and results has given a second life to KrAZ. Certain emissions are now almost three times lower than before the project was commenced." UC RUSAL is majority owned by tycoon Oleg Deripaska. (Reporting by Aleksandras Budrys; editing by James Jukwey)