RUSAL Invests $200 Million in New Kentucky Rolling Facility

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): United Company RUSAL Plc. Has announced partnership with Braidy Industries, Inc., a U.S-based holding company in constructing a green field aluminum rolling facility in Ashland, Kentucky. The plant will produce flat rolled aluminum products for the U.S. automotive industry. The Russian aluminum giant plans to invest approximately $200 million to build the plant, which is regarded as the largest aluminum plant built in the country in nearly four decades.

The two companies have signed a formal Letter of Intent (LOI). The commercial conditions of the joint venture project states that Rusal will have 40% in the joint venture entity. The remaining 60% share will be held by Braidy Industries. The binding document is expected to be signed during Q2 this year, after arriving at a final decision on the roadmap to construction and implementation of the project.

The new aluminum rolling mill will feature state-of-the-art equipment in order to ensure Rusal’s market leadership while ensuring long-term sustainable competitive edge. The mill output is expected to rebalance the anticipated auto body sheet deficit in the U.S. market. The plant will have a capacity to produce 500,000 tons of hot-rolled band and 300,000 tons of cold-rolled products per annum. The aluminum for the new rolling mill will be supplied from its new Taishet aluminum smelter that is currently under construction in Siberia.

The joint project is expected to help Rusal to reinforce its presence on the strategic U.S. automotive market.