Published by Nadine Bloxsome on March 10, 2021
En Group announced that it has started supplying electricity from the Ozernaya substation to the indoor switchgear inverter substation (ZRU KPP) of the Taishet aluminum smelter.
The Taishet aluminum smelter will be put into operation in 2021, with a power supply of 390 MW, which will increase to 780 MW in 2022. The start-up of the power supply prepares for the commissioning of the smelter.
The single-circuit line to transmit power from the Boguchanskaya hydropower station will connect the Ozernaya substation and the Taishet aluminum smelter to provide renewable hydroelectric power. The Ozernaya substation is located near the town of Taishet in the Irkutsk region.
The Irkutsk Power Grid Corporation opened four 220 kV high-voltage lines from Ozernaya to the Taishet aluminum smelter, with a total length of 2,000 meters. These lines are laid parallel to each other, 25 meters apart. The company also put into operation a 13.5 km 220kV overhead optical fiber transmission line. On February 24, 2021, the Yenisei Federal Environment, Technology and Nuclear Regulatory Supervision Agency officially approved the construction of the power plant.
550 kV Ozernaya is a new generation substation with cutting-edge operation management solutions. In three years, 500 kV outdoor switchgear and 500 kV primary equipment (including 500 kV rigid bus 1 and 2, current and voltage transformers, circuit breakers and isolating switches) and power distribution points (RP-10- 1) Put into use. A set of single-phase 500kV automatic transformers and a 220/35kV transformer were also installed. The construction of the 220 kV open switching unit (ORU) was completed, and the equipment was installed on the No. 1 and No. 2 launching stations. The Open Switching Unit (ORU) 35 kV also achieved the same effect. In addition, the construction of two new 500 kV batteries was completed, and controlled shunt reactors were installed for the Angara-Ozernaya and BoGES-Ozernaya 500 kV high-voltage lines. Previously, two 500kV lines were built between Ozernaya and Taishet substations and merged into the Krasnoyarsk power system-500kV overhead line No. 505, connecting Ozernaya substation with the existing 500/110/35kV Taishet substation .
Once commissioned, the Taishet aluminum smelter will increase En Group's total production capacity by nearly 430,000 tons (the first commissioned complex will include 352 RA-400 electrolyzers with currents up to 440 kA). This high-tech enterprise will become one of En Group's important assets in the Siberian metal business and one of the most environmentally friendly companies in the global aluminum industry, creating approximately 3,000 jobs.
Reducing greenhouse gas emissions is the strategic goal of En Group. To achieve this goal, the company is modernizing its facilities, introducing the best production technology and developing new production technologies. In addition, the company is increasing the production of its low-carbon aluminum brand ALLOW, which has a carbon footprint several times lower than the industry average. On January 18, 2021, En Group announced its goal of achieving net zero emissions by 2050 and reducing greenhouse gas ("GHG") emissions by at least 35% by 2030. These targets cover the absolute emissions of all operations, including aluminum production as well as heating and electricity production. Because the Taishet smelter is close to the Asian region, the company will be able to quickly and efficiently provide its products to the largest and most promising aluminum consumer markets.
Mikhail Hardikov, Head of Energy Department of En Group, said: "Connecting the Taishet aluminum smelter to the Ozernaya substation is an important step in elevating the aluminum industry in the Angara region to a new level. The Taishet smelter, which is about to be put into operation, will become a new level. An important driving force for the economic development of the Kutsk region. The aluminum production of the smelter will be powered by clean and renewable hydropower. The total investment during the entire construction period is approximately 13 billion rubles."
Igor Kobzev, Governor of Irkutsk Region, said: “For a long time, the Irkutsk Region Government has been successfully cooperating with En Group to meet the region’s demand for high-quality energy supply. In addition, our cooperation supports regional industrial policies. The company implements complex projects to improve the energy system of the entire region. But even in the historical context of successful cooperation, this project to launch the Taishet aluminum smelter is outstanding."
Aluminium International Today is an English journal dedicated to aluminum production and processing.
It contains summaries of global news, events and statistics, as well as more detailed technical articles, company and country profiles, conference reports, and regular regional economic briefings.