Norilsk Nickel has commissioned a new high-tech gas purification system in the dust extraction department of the refining plant at the Kola plant in Monchegorsk.
This large-scale investment project is an important step in the implementation of the company's environmental strategy aimed at improving air quality in the region.
Investments in the project amounted to 6.9 billion rubles. It is one of 180 events of Norilsk Nickel's comprehensive environmental program on the Kola Peninsula, the total amount of which will exceed 71.7 billion rubles by 2031.
The key objective of the new system is to reduce sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions from fluidized bed furnaces in the refining workshop as part of an integrated gas purification system. The project is expected to reduce SO2 emissions by almost 1,000 tonnes per year. This is a significant achievement: in the 1990s, SO2 emissions of the Kola MMC reached almost 500,000 tonnes, by 2015 they were reduced to 155,100 tonnes, by the end of 2024, thanks to the implementation of the Sulfur Program at the Kola industrial sites, they amounted to just 12,400 tonnes.
The practical implementation of the project started in December 2022 with the installation of four modern four-floor Russian-made electrostatic precipitators in a new building. The share of domestic equipment in the new gas purification system reaches 98%.
"The commissioning of this gas purification system is an important project for the environmental strategy of the Kola plant. We have been working on its implementation for several years, and significant investments have been made. This is not just an upgrade, it is a qualitative leap in waste gas treatment, which will allow us to achieve new minimum values for sulfur dioxide emissions, while continuing our policy of reducing environmental impact," commented Stanislav Seleznev, Norilsk Nickel's Vice President for Industrial Safety, Labor Protection and Ecology.
In addition to the main environmental effect, the new system will also bring economic results. It will allow additional annual return to production of non-ferrous metals. In addition, the quality of the sulfuric acid produced will be significantly improved.
The launch of a new gas purification system is part of Norilsk Nickel's systematic efforts to improve environmental safety at the Kola plant. In July of this year, the company has already introduced a modern online air quality monitoring system in Monchegorsk, the data of which is available to residents.
Alex Shishlo, Editor in Chief of the European Bureau, Rough&Polished
