Aluminium major Rusal has over the last year unsuccessfully negotiated with Gazprom over necessary deliveries to the Komi Aluminium project. An agreement with Gazprom was only signed last week, and then with the assistance of the regional government in the Komi Republic.
The agreement now opens for resumed construction at the site. When finished, the plant will produce an annual 1,4 million tons of alumina and increase Russian domestic production of the raw material with 40 percent, RIA Novosti reports.
A new agreement between the regional Komi government and Gazprom secures sufficient gas deliveries to Rusal’s huge alumina project in the region.
-The fact that Valerii Golubyov, the representative of Gazprom, supports the republic’s position makes us very happy, Governor Vladimir Torlopov says. –I believe this is this year’s biggest event in our republic, he adds.
Negotiations betweek Rusal and Gazprom has been deadlocked for more than a year. Now, the construction of the plant might restart in 2009, RIA Novosti writes.
-For us this project is gigantic, Governor Torlopov underlines. –It will completely change the industrial structure of the region, he adds.
The bauxite reserves of the Sredne-Pechora deposit are estimated to 240 million tons. The project is believes to create as many as 10,000 new jobs. Investments are estimated to more than 1,5 billion USD.
Map: Rusal’s “Komi Aluminium” project in the Komi Republic
