Rusal has finalized a loan worth RUB45bn ($606mn) from VTB and Gazprombank to finance the construction of its Taishet aluminum smelter (TaAZ). The former will provide two-thirds of the investment with the latter financing the balance.
The first start-up complex will have an annual capacity of 428,500mt and is scheduled for commissioning in 2021. The smelter is slated to be the most environmentally friendly, high-tech facility in the industry. The Taishet aluminum smelter being built in the Irkutsk region will create 3,000 jobs.
Rusal is targeting sales of better-priced, value-added products to account for at least half of its aluminum product sales over the next decade. The new smelter facility will expand low-carbon products in the company’s portfolio.