The first stage of the Sulfur Program - a unique environmental project at the Nadezhdinsky Metallurgical Plant in Norilsk - was launched on October 25.
Andrey Ambartsumyan, Vice President of Investment Project Management at Norilsk Nickel, spoke about the first results and the significance of the most notable environmental event of the year in an interview with the Klyuch-Severny Gorod TV channel.
"It is still too early to say that we have achieved all the goals of the project. We are still on the way, but now almost everything related to the equipment and maintenance systems has already been installed. And today we have already produced several hundred tons of sulfuric acid. Accordingly, we have already been able to dispose of a certain amount of sulfur dioxide. All systems work more and more stably with each subsequent iteration. After reaching the design capacity, our target figure is more than 900 thousand tons of sulfur dioxide," the speaker explained.
He clarified that the project presents two main technologies – the technology of production of sulfuric acid from sulfur dioxide and the technology of neutralization of sulfuric acid. They are not unique in themselves. The scale is unique.
"I confirm that no one, not only in Russia but probably in the world, has ever implemented such technologies on such a scale, in such conditions. Norilsk is a unique logistical, climatic, geographical point on the map. We had to deal with a lot of changes that we were making," said the Vice president of Norilsk Nickel.
"The project was designed for a significant part of the import component, but we have to literally redo and adapt it to import substitution on the way, "quick and dirty", thus minimizing the sanctions risks that this project has faced."
Alex Shishlo for Rough&Polished
