Moscow, December 18. In 2017, with the support of the Aluminium Association, a number of breakthrough projects and initiatives were implemented, which open wide prospects for a qualitative leap in the development of domestic industry and new directions of aluminium application. A powerful boost to the strengthening of the winged metal positions in the domestic market was given by the Action Plan to Promote Demand For Value Added Aluminium Products in 2016-2017 approved by the Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev. Since value-added products holds a large part of aluminium import, the work of the Aluminium Association members will be focused on the development of production capacities of these directions in the country. This work will be continued in 2018.
TOP-5 the most noticeable events
1) After almost 20 years from the ban, the Ministry of Energy of the Russian Federation permitted to use aluminium alloys in wiring of buildings and constructions. Experts think that this is a brealthrough solution for the industry: new large-scale prospect of the winged metal open, as well as new markets which were still hampered by obsolete limits. Aluminium alloys 8030 and 8176 have already been produced in Russia, and cables are produced at two Russian production facilities: Irkutskkabel and Kamsky Kabel. The products were thoroughly tested in accordance with the current test methods with the involvement of specialists of ‘Roselektromontazh’ association and the All-Russian Research Institute for Fire Protection of Ministry of Russian Federation for Civil Defense, Emergencies and Elimination of Consequences of Natural Disasters. The new cables ensure high level of fire safety, including by means of isolation from polymer compositions that do not contain halogens and do not propagate combustion.
2) Following the results of long-term work on ensuring protection of the Russian market from imported aluminium wheel disks of poor quality conducted with the involvement of all market participants, a draft Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation ‘On licencing aluminium wheels import’ was developed, which gained multi-agency approval. Its acceptance will provide a powerful barrier to imported falsified products.
3) In summer in the Nizhny Novgorod region, a pilot project on construction and installation of the first aluminium bridges in modern history of Russia was successfully implemented, and already in autumn the practical stage of works on creation of a set of rules ‘Aluminium alloys bridges. Span structures’ started, which will become a national standard in the sphere of design, construction, installation and operation of bridges made of the winged metal. For this purpose, at the premises of the Moscow State Building University, a full size aluminium bridge is tested.
4) In Moscow, trams began to run, the interiors of which for the first time in Russia are fully made of aluminium. Totally, aluminium to produce interiors for 300 trams will be supplied as part of the project. This it the world's largest contract for purchase of trams for the transport system of one city.
5) An innovative aluminium hopper car was certified in the Russian Federation in February. The railcar project (model 19-244) was developed by RUSAL together with RM Rail and Arkonik Samara Metallurgical Plant and is designed for transport of more than 50 types of bulk cargoes. RM Rail obtained the right to its serial production in accordance with the regulations of the Customs Union. An aluminium hopper car has a whole set of unique characteristics if compared with its analogues: corrosion resistance, higher lifting capacity (exceeds its analogues by 3-9 tonnes and is equal to 79 tonnes), service life period is 32 years, which is longer by 6 years. Due to the balance between these characteristics, the economy for transportation of one tonne of cargo on average is up to 10%. Currently, the test lots of aluminium railcars undergo controlled operation, and the work on the development of other types of rolling stock made of innovative aluminium alloys continue.