Senior Vice-President — Operational Director, Sergey Stepanov commented on the production results, “In 1Q 2023, we increased the output of copper and PGMs compared to the same period of last year. The temporary decrease in nickel production was scheduled due to short-term repairs of furnaces at Nadezhda Smelter and a grinding mill at Talnakh Concentrator. Scheduled repairs are carried out regularly with an aim to maintain operations of the main technological units uninterrupted. I would like to highlight a significant improvement of the quality of our nickel cathodes produced in Kola Division due to the improvement of operational efficiency. The content of cobalt and copper and zinc impurities in nickel cathodes decreased by almost 40% and 50%, respectively, compared to the previous year levels. Taking into account all the initiatives, which have been rolled out to minimize the negative impact of the recently emerged logistical and operating risks, associated with the supply disruption of high-performance equipment and spare parts, we reiterate our previously announced production guidance from own Russian feed for FY2023”.
ABOUT THE COMPANY
MMC Norilsk Nickel is a diversified mining and metallurgical company, the world’s largest producer of palladium and high-grade nickel and a major producer of platinum and copper. The company also produces cobalt, rhodium, silver, gold, iridium, ruthenium, selenium, tellurium and other products.
The production units of Norilsk Nickel Group are located at the Norilsk Industrial District, on the Kola Peninsula and Zabaykalsky Krai in Russia as well as in Finland.
MMC Norilsk Nickel shares are listed on the Moscow and on the Saint-Petersburg Stock Exchanges, ADRs are accepted for trading on the Saint-Petersburg Stock Exchange.
Norilsk Nickel fully supports the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the UN Sustainable Development Goals. The company considers social responsibility and commitment to the principles of sustainable development as one of the pillars of operational efficiency and business development. Nornickel seeks to continuously improve its activities in the areas of environmental protection, human rights, health and safety, environmental impact assessment, and biodiversity preservation. The company spent RUB 221.5 billion on SDG-linked projects in 2021.