Lufthansa visits the Krasnoyarsk smelter

The Krasnoyarsk aluminium smelter became the region’s first production facility to be visited by representatives of Lufthansa as part of the German airline’s trip to the Krasnoyarsk region. The guests wanted to know how the smelter was operating amidst the economical crisis and whether it was forced to cut back production levels or lay-off staff.

The visit to the Krasnoyarsk smelter (KrAZ) was initiated by the Lufthansa delegation. Aluminium is widely used in Germany. RUSAL’s metal is often purchased by German air and car companies. Moreover, RUSAL has a representative office in Dusseldorf.

The delegation also included reporters from Germany’s and the UK’s leading mass media. Eugueny Zhukov, the plant’s managing director, welcomed the guests and arranged a tour around the smelter. He told the visitors about the now completed modernisation programme and various efforts to reduce aluminium cash cost, cut expenses and improve the smelter’s competitive abilities. In turn, Lufthansa representatives said that many producers in Germany including well-known Volkswagen are cutting output and dismissing staff, and asked whether KrAZ was implementing similar measures. ‘KrAZ did not shut down a single department’, Mr. Zhukov said proudly. ‘This year’s output will not change as compared to 2008, and so we don’t see any reason to lay-off people’.

Members of the delegation visited Casthouse 3, one of the smelter’s core production areas. Inside, the guests saw a unique complex which produces alloys to be used in beverage cans, as well as a dual-length ingot casting machine. With no analogues in Russia, the machine produces the world’s longest ingots of up to 11.5 metres.

Following the tour around the plant, the guests were presented souvenir-size aluminium ingots and exclusive pictures.