RUSAL restarts operation of teh Friguia alumina refinery in Guinea

UC RUSAL (486 Hong Kong, RUAL Moscow Exchange), a leading global aluminium producer, is pleased to announce the restart of the FRIGUIA ALUMINA REFINERY in Guinea.

The official ceremony to mark the restoration of the Friguia refinery was attended by the President of Guinea, Alpha Conde, the Russian Ambassador to Guinea, Alexander Bregadze, as well as the management of RUSAL. This follows agreements reached in 2016 between the Republic of Guinea and the company, which provide for the ramp up of production up to 550-600 thousand tonnes of alumina per year within 12 months from the resumption of operations.

"The commencement of shipments from the Dian-Dian deposit and the resumption of the operation of the Friguia alumina refinery are important developments both for RUSAL and the Republic of Guinea. Thanks to the support of the country's leadership, the previously reached agreements on the implementation of these large-scale projects have been fulfilled on time, which is hugely beneficial for the development of the city of Friguia, the industrial centre of Guinea, "said Yakov Itskov, Director of the Alumina Division at UC RUSAL.

The Friguia alumina refinery complex includes a bauxite mine, alumina refinery, railway and other infrastructure. The entire complex has been designed with an annual capacity of up to 650 thousand tonnes of alumina and 2.1 m tonnes of bauxite. Production was suspended in April 2012.

RUSAL has been operating in the Republic of Guinea since 2001, and is one of the largest foreign investors in the country. In Guinea, RUSAL owns and operates the Compagnie des Bauxites de Kindia (CBK), as well as the Friguia alumina refinery. In addition, RUSAL is currently implementing a large-scale project to develop the world's largest bauxite deposit at Dian-Dian in the Boké region of Guinea.