RUSAL plans to start IPO roadshow on Jan 11 -paper

MOSCOW, Dec 16 (Reuters) - Debt-laden Russian aluminium giant UC RUSAL plans to start a roadshow for its $2 billion share listing on Jan. 11, if it wins approval from the Hong Kong Stock Exchange this month, Vedomosti reported on Wednesday. The world's largest aluminium producer had hoped to float shares this year after securing Russia's biggest-ever debt restructuring deal, several banking sources have said, but attempts were thwarted when Hong Kong bourse authorities asked the firm to meet more conditions. Now RUSAL, controlled by industrialist Oleg Deripaska, plans to start pre-marketing on Jan. 4, followed by a roadshow a week later, once the long Russian New Year holidays are over, Vedomosti said, citing bankers and sources close to the company. But first the company -- which has almost $17 billion of debts -- must secure approval from the stock exchange for the listing. This could happen either on Dec. 17 or on Dec. 24, the sources told the Russian business daily. Separately, sources told Reuters that RUSAL is very likely to seek approval from the Hong Kong listing committee, which meets on Thursdays, in the next two weeks. No hearings on RUSAL have been finalised yet, they said. RUSAL was not immediately available for comment. Russian state bank VEB is expected to buy 3 percent of RUSAL of the 10 percent up for grabs at the listing. A senior official at another potential investor, Russia's largest bank Sberbank, said earlier this month that the IPO could take place in the first quarter of 2010. (Reporting by Kennix Chim and Tanya Mosolova; Writing by Toni Vorobyova; Editing by Kim Coghill)