During a visit to the Krasnoyarsk Territory, the Chairwoman of the Council of Federation Valentina Matviyenko said that Norilsk Nickel’s projects coupled with social responsibility programs are commendable.
She focused the regional leaders’ attention on the need to improve the environmental situation and the air quality. “It’s necessary to modernize the industrial production and introduce up-to-date standards. It is important to raise the requirements imposed on the owners of industrial enterprises, increase their responsibility for the environmental situation in Krasnoyarsk and solving the social problems,” said the Chairwoman of the Council of Federation at the meeting with the governor of the Krasnoyarsk Territory Mikhail Kotyukov.
Valentina Matviyenko raised similar questions in Norilsk, the capital of Polar regions of Russia, where she had a meeting with Vladimir Potanin, the President of the Norilsk Nickel company. During her visit to the Nadezhda Metallurgical Plant (Nornickel’s Polar Division), the Chairwoman of the Council of Federation noted the significant progress achieved in solving a long-standing problem.
Norilsk Nickel is implementing the Sulfur Program that is unprecedented in the world and it’s part of the federal Clean Air project. It is aimed at achieving sulfur dioxide capture and recycling figures typical of the best foreign practices and a drastic reduction in sulfur dioxide emissions by more than 45%, which will help in improving the ecological situation in the city and region.
The company says that new technologies make it possible to capture not only toxic sulfur dioxide from gas emissions, but also solid substances released during the smelting of sulfide concentrates. Thanks to new developments, sulfur dioxide is converted into sulfuric acid, which is then neutralized using natural limestone to produce gypsum that can be calcined and used as a construction material.
In October 2023, comprehensive testing of the first stage of the process system for the sulfur dioxide utilization began, and the first several thousand tons of sulfur dioxide were utilized. Currently, the adjustment and development of the equipment and technology are carried out.
According to Vladimir Potanin, Norilsk Nickel keeps on implementing the Sulfur Program even despite the sanctions imposed on the company and refusal to supply imported equipment and software. The total investments in the environmental program by Norilsk Nickel and improving the living conditions in the areas where the company’s enterprises operate amount to about 180 bn rubles.
The construction of modern residential and social facilities in the permafrost zone, including the huge multifunctional sports complex Aika, the runway renovated without temporarily shutting down the Norilsk airport’s operations - the only case in the world - are among other high-tech solutions implemented with an active participation of Norilsk Nickel. To make Norilsk a really modern city, the high-speed fiber optic Internet was provided to the local residents.
According to Valentina Matviyenko, Norilsk Nickel has proven itself to be a socially responsible company. “When businesses show such a high social responsibility, the companies achieve greater success and enjoy the greater respect,” said the Speaker of the Council of Federation.
In his turn, the governor of the Krasnoyarsk Territory Mikhail Kotyukov noted that the Norilsk project should show new living standards in the areas located along the Northern Sea Route. “We need to utilize and develop new technologies, understand what infrastructural, educational, healthcare and transport services, as well as the public utilities should be like in the region. Norilsk Nickel sets social responsibility standards, which should give tangible results to the residents of Norilsk. In the future, this experience can be scaled up to other cities of the Krasnoyarsk Territory and the entire Arctic zone of the Russian Federation in general,” said the governor of the Krasnoyarsk Territory.
