SUAL Group, one of the World’s top ten aluminium producers, today announces production results for the third quarter (Q3) and nine months to 30 September 2003. The strong growth in alumina and primary aluminium production reflects a first time contribution from the Sevzapprom assets (Pikalevo Alumina; Volkhov Aluminium and Volgograd Aluminium) in 2003.

Bauxite production for the Q3 was 1.18 million tonnes, an increase of 38.6 per cent over Q3 2002. In the nine months to 30 September 2003, bauxite production was 3.28 million tonnes, an increase of 19.1 per cent over the same period in 2002. The strong growth in output of bauxite reflects a programme to serve SUAL Group’s growing demand for alumina.

Alumina production for Q3 2003 was 511,737 tonnes, an increase of 16.9 per cent over the same period in 2002. This reflects increase in production at all SUAL Group’s plants, a first time contribution from Pikalevo Alumina and a successful programme of modernisation and technical enhancements at the Group’s alumina operations. Total alumina production for nine months to 30 September 2003 was 1.52 million tonnes, a 17.0 per cent increase on the same period in 2002.

In Q3 2003 Primary aluminium production was 223,467 tonnes, 26.9 per cent ahead of the same period in 2002. Total primary aluminium production for the first nine months of 2003 was 663,629 tonnes, 28.0 per cent higher than the equivalent period in 2002. This reflects increases at all SUAL Group’s operations and a first time contribution from the Volgograd and Volkhov smelters. In addition, the Group benefited from an electrolytic production modernisation and technical enhancement programme.

The Group’s aluminium processing (downstream) plants continued to increase their output, reflecting a shift towards greater value-added production. At Kamensk-Uralsky Metallurgical (KUMZ), Q3 production of rolled and semi-finished products was 17,341 tonnes, 25.0 per cent above Q3 2002. Total production at KUMZ for the nine-month period ended 30 September 2003, amounted to 48,934 tonnes, an increase of 19.6 per cent over the same period in 2002. Ural Foil (formerly Mikhailovsk Foil) significantly increased its output of foil and strip aluminium to 2,895 tonnes, which was 85.3 per cent higher than Q3 2002. For the nine months production reached 7,471 tonnes reflecting an increase of 96.4 per cent over the same period of 2002.

Silicon production for Q3 2003 was 12,491 tonnes, an increase of 16.3 per cent on Q3 2002. The total volume of silicon produced in the first nine months of 2003 was 38,080 tonnes, 3.9 per cent higher than the same period in 2002.

In Q3 2003, SUAL’s cable businesses produced over 9,048 tonnes of cable, a third more that in Q3 2002. Total cable production for the first nine months of 2003 was 23,543 tonnes, 14.9 per cent higher than Q3 2002.

Production Highlights — Q3 (Three months to 30 September 2003)

Production Highlights — Year to date (Nine months to 30 September 2003)