Nornickel has announced plans to build a liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant in place of its obsolete nickel factory in the Arctic.

It said: “This fits in with the group’s focus on its environmental goals and shows that the mining company is dedicated to becoming greener.”

By adding LNG to its fuel mix, Nornickel hopes to “curb pollution and contribute to the conservation of the fragile Arctic environment”.

2H21 will see the company put in even more effort to reduce pollution, it said. Its trucks will be re-designed to run on dual-fuel – natural gas plus diesel fuel. The trials for this should begin shortly.

It said: “The ultimate goal is to cut down on the emission of carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides, sulphur oxide, and dioxide. This will be achieved by a 40 percent reduction of diesel fuel consumption and the use of LNG instead. There is also an expected decrease in gas accumulation levels at the quarry.”

The company will also cut costs associated with the transportation of overburden and ore thanks to the reduction of fuel for the mining equipment once the switch to LNG is complete. Post-trial, a decision will be made on whether to redesign the entire fleet of trucks.

Additionally, the trucks used for other projects such as limestone extraction in the Verkhnaya-Tomulakhskaya area will be re-designed.

For more information visit www.nornickel.com

23rd February 2021