SUAL group of companies today announced production statistics for the first quarter of 2003. The Group’s growth in bauxite, alumina and primary aluminium production out-performed the Russian market while its own alumina fully met the needs its smelters.

Moscow — 12 May, 2003: For the first quarter (Q1) ended 31 March 2003, (Ural, Irkutsk, Kandalaksha, Bogoslovsky, Nadvoitsy, Volgograd and Volkhov Aluminium smelters) saw production of primary aluminium rise by 9,200 tonnes (mt), an increase of 4.3 per cent over Q1 2002 on a like-for-like basis.

SUAL group of companies increased its alumina production volumes by 12,200 mt in Q1 2003, compared with Q1 2002. To enhance production efficiency these enterprises successfully implemented an alumina technology improvement programme, designed by SUAL Holding.

Excluding any contribution from Nadvoitsy Aluminium and the SevZapProm assets (Volgograd and Volkhov smelters) to Q1 2003, on a like-for-like basis SUAL’s original four smelters increased production of primary aluminium by 8,000 mt or  5.3 per cent in Q1 2003 over Q1 2002. Significantly, Ural Aluminium raised production by 12 per cent in the quarter, compared with Q1 2002. The production increase at SUAL’s original four smelters reflects a capital expenditure and modernisation programmme at each unit.

At North-Ural Bauxite and Timan Bauxite, alumina output grew by 11.7 per cent and 10 per cent respectively.

Foil and aluminium strip production at Mikhailovsk Foil doubled in Q1 2003, while cast and finished products output at Kamensk-Uralsky Metallurgical exceeded total Q1 2002 output by 13.3 per cent. At Demidovsky Consumer Goods, production of finished products in Q1 2003 increased by 25 per cent over Q1 2002.

(Irkutsk Cable and Kirs Cable) increased production output by  4.8 per cent in Q1 2003, compared with Q1 2002.

Benefiting from a growth in demand, Cheremshansk Quartzite raised production in 7 per cent in Q1 2003, compared to the same period of the previous year.