Norilsk Nickel informs about the results of international tender on sulphur utilization

Norilsk Nickel communicates the results of the international tender posted by the Company with the objective to decrease SO2 emissions, as part of the program aimed at gradual decrease of air emissions of Company’s metallurgical production facilities located in Norilsk (Polar Division of the Company).

The tender was posted in February 2011, and 27 companies applied for participation in the tender, of which only three companies managed to make part of the final group:
- OJSC Giprogazootchistka (Russia),
- Techint S.p.A. (Italy),
- Samsung Engineering Co. Ltd. (Republic of Korea).

The main criteria of projects appraisal were the reliability of the suggested technological solutions as to achieve the required technical characteristics and personnel safety, turn-key dead-lines, warranties, prices, additional costs of MMC Norilsk Nickel on parallel projects to guarantee power supplies for the newly built production.

Techint S.p.A is an almost absolute winner. During the recent ten years, the company has brought to life more than 140 projects in 15 countries of the world. To implement Norilsk projects, Techint S.p.A has invited as licensers of basic technological solutions «Poеrner» (Austria), «Le Gaz Integral» (France), MECS (Belgium, participant to «Du Pont» concern (USA), «Enersul» (Canada), as well as Russian designer and equipment producing companies.

At present, the tender winner participates in a pre-contract debate.

Once signed the Contract, the Contractor will bring to life the following latest world technologies on SO2 utilization at Copper Plant (CP) and Nadezhda Metallurgical Plant (NMP):

• Construction and installation of waste gases deep dust separation systems at flash furnace of NMP and Vanukov furnace of CP.
• Construction of waste gases SO2 concentration units at flash furnace of NMP and Vanukov furnace of CP.
• Overhaul of sulphur utilization units at NMP and CP so that all of the concentrated SO2 can be processed and elementary sulphur be produced;
• Construction of converter waste gases cooling, dust separation and SO2 concentration systems with further transformation into elementary sulphur at sulphur utilization units of the Copper Plant with the objective to produce elementary sulphur.

Once implemented, new technologies shall provide for recovery of at least 95% of SO2 from CP and NMP waste gases. This shall result in dramatic decrease of SO2 emissions to the atmosphere.

ABOUT MMC NORILSK NICKEL

MMC Norilsk Nickel, a company incorporated under the laws of the Russian Federation, is the largest diversified mining and metals company in Russia, the world's largest producer of nickel and palladium and one of the world's largest producers of platinum, rhodium, copper and cobalt. In addition to this, MMC Norilsk Nickel produces a large number of other by-products, including gold, silver, tellurium, selenium, iridium and ruthenium.

The key production units of the Company’s group in Russia are at the Polar and Kola Peninsulas. MMC Norilsk Nickel international assets include operations in Finland, Australia, Botswana and South Africa.

MMC Norilsk Nickel’s shares are traded at MICEX-RTS. ADR’s on the Company’s shares are traded on the other the counter market in the US and at the London and Berlin stock exchanges.