15.11.2023 - Aluminium Association
The first Aluminium for Innovations in Construction and Infrastructure local forum took place in Irkutsk. The event was attended by the representatives of government bodies, municipalities, ministries, research cen-tres, deputies, architects, designers, and manufacturing companies. Among the attendees were A. Galkin, Minister of Construction, Irkutsk Region; M. Petrova, Deputy Minister of Economic Development and Indus-try, Irkutsk Region; V. Tsishkovsky, Deputy Minister of Transport and Road Facilities, Irkutsk Region; P. Bo-gatyrev, Minister of Sports, Irkutsk Region; M. Devochkin, a deputy of the Legislative Assembly, Irkutsk Re-gion; A. Kuzin, Head of the Taishet Municipality; A. Tenigin, Mayor of Shelekhov, A. Egorov, Chairperson of the Irkutsk regional branch of Opora Rossii Business Association, among others.
The Forum participants discussed the local roadmap for the application of hi-tech aluminium and aluminium alloy products, initiatives and projects for the development of the Irkutsk and Baikal regions, and facilitating the expanded use of hi-tech aluminium products across various many sectors.
I. Kazovskaya, Chairperson of the Aluminium Association, N. Shumakov, President of the Russian Union of Architects, A. Galkin, Minister of Construction, Irkutsk Region; M.N. Petrova, Deputy Minister of Economic Development and Industry, Irkutsk Region greeted the attendees at the Forum’s opening.
Alexander Galkin, Minister of Construction, Irkutsk Region, stated: "Aluminium is a strategically important metal, and aluminium products are of high quality and technologically advanced. We export aluminium and also need to boost our domestic consumption to achieve technological sovereignty. Currently, there is an opportunity to increase its consumption".
Marina Petrova, Deputy Minister of Economic Development and Industry, Irkutsk Region, noted: "We need to make high value-added products, and we are working on it and are always ready to assist. The Irkutsk Region produces 1.5 million tonnes of aluminium, and the potential for downstream processing is im-mense".
N. Shumakov, President of the Russian Union of Architects, said: "Aluminium with its unique properties has excellent prospects in architecture and construction. The consolidation of efforts between architects, de-signers, and manufacturers of aluminium products has led to a significant increase in the use of aluminium in construction and, importantly, to improvements in architectural quality and the creation of unique pro-jects. It can be confidently stated that aluminium is a material with a bright future, which inspires archi-tects".
The Forum speakers discussed the application of aluminium in the Irkutsk Region, as well as the extensive potential for using aluminium in construction, urban and road infrastructure, power generation, tourism, and local air travel. At the Forum, The President of the Russian Union of Architects announced an interna-tional architectural competition titled Modular Solutions for Tourism Infrastructure. "The Tourism Agency of the Irkutsk Region, like the rest of the country, is tasked with building a top-class tourist infrastructure. The construction of eco-friendly, pre-fabricated aluminium modular hotels will facilitate the development of this sector," noted N. Shumakov.
The Aluminium Association is promoting expanding the use of aluminium solutions across Russia. Strength-ening business relationships aids in the emergence of joint strategies to improve the energy efficiency, envi-ronmental friendliness, aesthetics, and cost-effectiveness of infrastructure facilities, in line with the princi-ples of green construction. This aligns with the objectives of the Government’s initiative to stimulate de-mand for aluminium products in 2025~2030, which was launched in May.
A key focus of the Initiative is local programmes for the use of advanced aluminium structures and products across many sectors, from transport infrastructure and housing construction to healthcare and education facilities.
The local programmes will enhance local awareness of the aluminium benefits, and identify the specific local requirements for aluminium products. The Initiative will have a positive synergy impact on the growth of the related sectors: construction, transport infrastructure, power generation, consumer products, automotive, and others.
Summarising the Forum, Irina Kazovskaya, the Chairperson of the Aluminium Association, noted: "Our ob-jective is to enhance the quality of the urban environment and infrastructure." By utilising new innovative eco-friendly solutions for road construction, new berth infrastructure, and residential and public facilities, we enhance the quality of life and the attractiveness of the region. At the Irkutsk forum, we showcased the work being done on the local programmes. The Forum participants endorsed the Aluminium Association’s initiative. The collaborative efforts under the Ministry of Economic Development will develop plans to in-crease the use of advanced aluminium, aluminium alloy structures and products, ultimately leading to the creation of a superior, eco-friendly and convenient environment”.
The following experts from the Aluminium Association presented at the Forum: Marat Zhikharev, Artyom Syuvatkin, Mikhail Rudyk, Evgeny Vasiliev, Viktor Ivanenko, Elena Kotelnikova, and Dmitry Logunov from Alumsill; Vera Sinelshchikova from Albes; Pavel Moryakov, CEO of Moskabelmet and Head of the Energy Sec-tor, Aluminium Association; Andrey Kakorin, Executive Director of Irkutskkabel (Uncomtech); Evgeny Chebotarev, Project Manager of AlumPark; Alexander Averin from Bearing Systems; and Alexey Laukart, CEO of Roder. The event was moderated by Elena Asanova, Director of Market Relations, Aluminium Associ-ation.