Irkutsk Aluminium smelter (IrkAZ), part of SUAL Group, one of the world’s top ten aluminium producers, has successfully passed an audit to comply with international quality management requirements.

The audit follows a certification of the Irkutsk Aluminium smelter by the leading UK-based certification body, BM TRADA. The certificate demonstrates that quality management system at IrkAZ meets the requirements of the international ISO 9001:2000 standard.

It took IrkAZ one year to develop, introduce and certify the quality management system of the plant according to ISO 9001:2000. As part of the preparatory work for the certification, employees at Irkutsk Aluminium undertook additional training in quality management. The auditors of BM Trada also highly praised the professionalism of the staff and specialists at IrkAZ, as well as the plans for development of the smelter.

It is important for the enterprise to gain internationally recognised accreditations, in order to compete effectively, as it is currently the key condition for cooperation with the largest consumers not only in the domestic market but also in the international marketplace. Irkutsk Aluminium smelter is the 11th plant in the SUAL Group to receive ISO 9001 accreditation.

«This certificate proves that our work complies with the highest internationally acceptable quality standards. This is a significant step not only for IrkAZ but for SUAL as a whole, because it underlines the Group's commitment to use world recognised operating procedures at each of its facilities» — commented Igor Grinberg, General Director of Irkutsk Aluminium smelter.

In 2004 IrkAZ plans to sign an agreement with a certifying company for development and introduction of an environmental management system and certify it to comply with the international ISO 14001-96 standard. This certification will demonstrate that the plant’s activity meets international environmental requirements and it is committed to perform ongoing work aimed at reducing the plant’s environmental impact.

Notes to Editors:

About Irkutsk Aluminium smelter (Shelekhov city, Irkutsk region.) is one of the largest smelters of Russian aluminium industry. The first aluminium at IrkAZ was produced in 1962. Later in 1996, OAO «Siberian Ural Aluminium company» was formed following the merger of OAO «Irkutsk Aluminium» and OAO «Ural Aluminium» smelters.

About SUAL

The SUAL Group is a vertically integrated business among the ten largest aluminium producers of the world.

Annually, operations of the SUAL Group:

• Mine some 4.4 million tonnes of bauxite
• Refine more than 2 million tonnes of alumina
• Produce over 890,000 tonnes of primary aluminium
• Produce more than 50,000 tonnes of silicon
• Manufacture more than 110,000 tonnes of aluminium products.

About B M Trada BM TRADA Certification Ltd is a world-leading UK accredited multi-sector certification body. Based in the UK, with representative offices across 16 countries, BM TRADA offers the very best in certification services.

BM TRADA offers the following:

Certification:

• Quality Management — ISO 9000, QS-9000, TickIT, BS 7799
• Environmental Management — ISO 14001, EMAS, BS 8555, FSC & PEFC Chain of Custody
• Health and Safety Management — OHSAS 18001
• Integrated Management Systems
• Product Schemes — Construction Products, CE Marking
• Personnel Schemes