RUSAL has commenced testing operations for a pilot industrial electrolytic cell with inert anodes, which has an improved design and a record low carbon footprint.

The new pilot model will replace the inert anode electrolytic cell already being tested by RUSAL as the next step in the development of innovative carbon-free aluminium cell technology.

The new generation of inert anode electrolytic cell has a number of fundamentally new technical solutions that can improve the purity of aluminium produced, reduce the carbon footprint to a record low level of 2 tons of CO2 per tonne of aluminium produced and reduce operating costs during the production process. The pilot experimental pot cell will have a capacity of approximately 1 tonne of aluminium per day at 140 thousand ampere current rate.

RUSAL is one of the world's leading aluminium producers in developing cell technology using inert anodes. “This technology will increase efficiency and significantly improve the carbon footprint of aluminium production”, said Victor Mann, RUSAL’s Technical Director (pictured).