Rusal plans to acquire from GAZ Group 11 pot crust breaking machines, 18 alumina loading machines, and 12 metal handling trucks in 2012.
These vehicles were tested recently at Rusal’s facilities. The contract amounts to $4M. The diesel vehicles are to be produced by Bryansk Arsenal Plant and Tver Excavator Plant (TVEX).
The two groups will also develop and produce prototype machines for alumina distribution, anode paste loading, anode cutting, metal tapping without a crane and pot cleaning.
According to Rusal, vehicle park costs will reduce by 25% after introduction of the new jointly produced vehicles.
The current Russian-manufactured special diesel vehicles park is outdated. Most of the vehicles were produced more than 40 years ago. The imported vehicles are expensive to buy and maintain and there are problems with obtaining spare parts.
The vehicles will be used at the Novokuznetsk, Krasnoyarsk, Irkutsk, Sayanogorsk and Bratsk smelters.