SINGEN, Germany, December 21 /PRNewswire/ --
- Part of Company's Participation in EUR450,000 "Clean DevelopmentMechanism" Project With Klimaschutz E.V.
Alcan is providing innovative solar cookers and pans to 1,000rural Indonesian families in the country's Banda Aceh region as part of aEUR450,000 contribution with Klimaschutz e.V. to a "Clean DevelopmentMechanism" (CDM) project aimed at preserving the environment. The parabolicsolar cooker harnesses renewable solar energy, to boil water, killingbacteria and cooking food. It is intended to reduce developing regions'dependence on traditional sources of energy, such as firewood and fossilfuels.
"As part of Alcan's commitment to sustainability, the Companyis proud to participate in a project that will preserve the environment forfuture generations, through an innovative product like the solar cooker,"said Peter Hutsch, Managing Director, Alcan Singen GmbH, location of therolling mill at which Alcan manufactures the solar cooker's criticalreflector component. "By substituting traditional sources of energy likefirewood and fossil fuels with the solar cooker, we estimate that thisproject will annually save 3,500 tonnes of CO2 equivalent emissions. Alcanbenefits from the CDM project in the form of CO2 credits, so-called CertifiedEmission Reductions, within the emission trading system", he added.
Klimaschutz e.V. is serving as a partner for the localco-ordination of the so-called "Solar Cooker Project Aceh 1, Indonesia"project, in addition to constructing the solar cookers in Aceh and monitoringtheir use over the next seven years. The project is the first GermanCDM-project registered by the United Nations climate office. The CDM projectis defined in Article 12 of the Kyoto Protocol, which serves to protect theglobal climate in a sustainable manner and to promote the transfer ofclimate-saving techniques from industrial nations to developing countries.
"This project once again demonstrates how Alcan's innovativealuminum solutions are well positioned to tackle both environmental andeconomic challenges," said Christophe Villemin, President, Alcan SpecialtySheet. "The solar cooker's reflector is constructed from Alcan's high-glossrolled aluminium specialty sheet, Solar SurfaceTM 992, and has a transparentceramic coating that protects against the weather, corrosion and mechanicaldamage."
Currently, approximately 20,000 cookers are in use around theworld and have been used effectively to provide clean water to victims of the2005 tsunami that devastated Southeast Asia. It is estimated that up to 220million solar cookers are needed to critically reduce developing regions'dependence on traditional sources of fuel. This number of solar cookers couldalso save approximately 700 - 800 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions.
Alcan Inc. (NYSE, TSX: AL) is a leading global materialscompany, delivering high quality products and services worldwide. Withworld-class technology and operations in bauxite mining, alumina processing,primary metal smelting, power generation, aluminum fabrication, engineeredsolutions as well as flexible and specialty packaging, today's Alcan is wellpositioned to meet and exceed its customers' needs. Alcan is represented by65,000 employees in 61 countries and regions, and posted revenues of US$20.3billion in 2005. The Company has featured on the Dow Jones SustainabilityWorld Index consecutively since 2003. For more information, please visit:www.alcan.com.
Alcan Inc.
Media Contact: Sabine Karle, Tel.: +49-7731-80-23-22, sabine.karle@alcan.com, Chrystele Ivins, Tel + 33-1-56-28-24-18, chrystele.ivins@alcan.com
