Deputy Head of Sverdlovsk Region Government and Minister for Industry & Science Alexander Petrov feels that the region has a unique set of aluminum production facilities, with enterprises operating stably from Severouralsk to Kamensk-Uralsky. However, the processing and production of aluminum are made complicated by the fact that there are no hydroelectric power stations in Sverdlovsk Region, so the energy-intensive aluminum production is costlier in terms of electricity bills here than in other parts of Russia.

‘I believe that UC RUSAL’s management should invest in its own energy resources, and the region’s government actually made a few offers to this extent. RUSAL’s aluminum enterprises have to be radically renovated and to get new technologies, including those related to deeper-level processing of aluminum products. Thanks to the introduction of new produce with higher value-added characteristics, the company could develop one production facility with the help of proceeds from another and thus make up for the losses,’ the Minister said.