Nornickel is ready to create permafrost monitoring system together with Russian Ministry of Natural Resources

(ТАСС) - An all-Russian permafrost monitoring system can be created with the participation of Nornickel, which has already introduced soil temperature monitoring and set up a research center, said Andrey Grachev, Vice President of the mining and metallurgical company, at the of the Arctic and Antarctic Days forum on Friday. 
"The company has developed and implemented a geotechnical monitoring system that allows for constant automated monitoring of the permafrost soil temperature. A research center for construction technologies and monitoring the buildings and structures has been established with our financial and organizational assistance in Norilsk. We know that the Ministry of Natural Resources is working on a state system for permafrost background monitoring. The company is ready for comprehensive relations with the Ministry, and we are ready to share our experience," Grachev said.
According to him, Nornickel is ready to cooperate in the monitoring activities also with local authorities and the authorities of the Krasnoyarsk Territory. He also noted that Nornickel has learned to speak with the Arctic in its language and do everything possible to preserve its nature over the 87 years of the company’s activity. 
“We have a rather serious approach. We understand very well that we will not be able to carry out the work that we are doing now without a public-private partnership. In particular, last year we signed an agreement with the Ministry [of Natural Resources and Ecology of the Russian Federation] on monitoring the polar bear population, this year we have signed an agreement on conservation of the gyrfalcon population," Grachev added.
In 2022, Nornickel began a baseline biodiversity study, which continued its work with the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, that had begun in 2020 and expanded into three regions since the Great Norilsk Expedition. The purpose of the current study is to determine the affected areas by the company and assess the biodiversity of ecosystems in the regions where Nornickel operates. The research will form the basis of the corporate system for managing the impact on biodiversity and the development of programs for its conservation and monitoring.