Vladimir Pilyushin: The jewelry market is not stand-alone and moves by the same laws as other markets

Vladimir Pilyushin is editor-in-chief of Russian Jeweler, a leading magazine about the jewelry industry in Russia. He told Rough&Polished about his view on the evolution of the jewelry industry in Russia and touched upon some of its problems.

16 september 2024

Sarine’s David Block: Diamond Industry at Standstill Until Chinese Demand Returns

David Block is CEO of Israel’s Sarine Technologies and has served in the position since 2012. In this exclusive interview for Rough and Polished, Block gives his opinion on the leading issues affecting today’s diamond trade.

11 september 2024

Dr M'zée Fula Ngenge: Demand for considerable-sized diamonds stronger than ever

The African Diamond Council (ADC) chairperson Dr M'zée Fula Ngenge told Rough & Polished’s Mathew Nyaungwa in an exclusive interview that although overall global diamond prices have been somewhat soft, the demand for considerable-sized diamonds...

02 september 2024

Amplats sees prospects as a standalone company

Anglo has revealed its plans to demerge Anglo American Platinum (Amplats), which has operations in South Africa and Zimbabwe, to optimise shareholder value. Rough&Polished contacted Amplats to comment on this and other issues but was referred...

19 august 2024

WFDB President Yoram Dvash Remains Confident Despite Global Diamond Challenges

Yoram Dvash is President of the World Federation of Diamond Bourses (WFDB) having been elected in 2020. He found time in his busy schedule to speak to Rough&Polished about the state of the diamond industry around the world and some of the major...

12 august 2024

Small hydropower plant use in the mining and tourism industries in the Arctic

20 january 2023

(tass.ru) - Mixed electricity from SHPPs and diesel power plants (DPS) should be used to provide facilities in the Arctic and in the mining industry, as well as in the tourism business. This opinion was expressed to TASS on Monday by Alexander Vorotnikov, Deputy Director General for Work with Experts of  Project Office for Arctic Development (POAD), Associate Professor of the Russian RANEPA University's Department of Public Administration and Policy.
Many settlements in the Arctic, including those in remote areas, some of which use energy generated by diesel power plants (DPS), are located near rivers. For example, mining is often associated with the development of alluvial deposits along the banks. The mouths of such rivers have sections suitable for SHPPs.
"Mixed electricity from SHPPs and DPS can be used to provide many facilities: enterprises in the mining industry, in the extraction and processing of solid minerals, in the tourism sector, since many tourist infrastructure facilities are located precisely on water bodies or near them, and green energy using there will increase their attractiveness," the expert said.
According to Vorotnikov, SHPP can also be used in the production infrastructure of the traditional economic activities of indigenous peoples. The expert emphasized that DPS negatively affects the Arctic ecology, increases the carbon footprint and hinders the transition to carbon neutrality.
“Mixed generation makes it possible to use solar power plants (SPP) and wind power plants (WPP), as well as storage devices. Such projects <…> are quite widely used in Yakutia.  In the Russian Arctic, unfortunately, SHPPs practically are not built, although these facilities have proven their effectiveness for the production of "clean" energy, and existing technologies already allow to be used for hybrid generation, along with wind and solar energy.<...> SHPPs do not cause a destructive effect on nature and are green, he added.
The environmental direction is one of the priorities of the Arctic Council chaired by Russia. Earlier,Alexei Chekunkov, Minister for the Development of the Russian Far East, noted that the Arctic is the region that takes on the main burden as a result of climate change.