Steel Products Prices North America
April 16, 2019
Russian Aluminum Producer Rusal to Invest in Kentucky Mill
Written by Sandy Williams
The Russians are coming—to Kentucky. Russian aluminum producer United Co. Rusal plans to invest $200 million in a $1.7 billion rolling mill being built by start-up company Braidy Industries in Ashland, Ky. The investment will give Rusal a 40 percent stake in the project and a significant presence in the U.S. automotive and aerospace aluminum markets.
The new plant will roll aluminum sheet to auto and aerospace specifications. The aluminum industry is working to win a greater share of the automotive market away from steel as vehicle manufacturers look for new ways to replace conventional parts with lighter-weight aluminum or high-strength steel versions to improve fuel efficiency. The Aluminum Association says U.S. aluminum production in first-quarter 2019 was 43 percent higher than in 2018.
