5^th Professional Conference and onsite visit “Mining of Russia and CIS: Construction and Modernisation”

Region: Magadan region
Operator/initiator: Susuman Ore Company
Project stage: Agreement is concluded
Timeframe: The factory is scheduled for construction in 2026
Investments: ₽10 billion

The Far East and Arctic Development Corporation (FEDC) and LLC Susumanskaya Ore Company, part of the Management Company of LLC Novaya Ore Company, entered into a cooperation agreement for the realisation of investment projects for gold mining in the Magadan region – the Magadan Mining Cluster. The investor plans to invest more than ₽10 billion in the realisation of the development projects, and about 500 Far East residents will get jobs.
The realisation of the Kedrovoye and Verkhne-Khakchanskoye projects, which form the basis of the Magadan Cluster, will last until 2043. Expected gold reserves, including flanks, are 150 tonnes, with forecast gold production of about 5 tonnes per annum. In 2026 it is planned to build a plant.

Region: Republic of Sakha (Yakutia)
Operator/initiator: Alrosa
Project stage: Construction
Timeframe: 2032
Investments: ₽121.5 billion

ALROSA started construction of facilities at the Mir-Gluboky mine. The total diamond reserves amount to 173.5 million carats. Their production at the mine is expected to start in 2032, and the first proceeds from the sale of products are expected to be received in 2033. The capacity of Mir-Gluboky will reach 2 Mt of ore and 3 million carats of diamonds annually for more than 30 years. Mir-Gluboky is ALROSA’s largest investment project for the next decade, large-scale and technically complex. In the process of its development, the diamond reserves at the deep horizons of the deposit were assessed, which showed that the construction of a new mine is economically feasible. The state will receive tax revenues and more than a thousand new jobs will be established.

Region: Krasnoyarsk region
Operator/initiator: Severnaya Zvezda
Project stage: Construction
Timeframe: 2025
Investments: ₽45 billion

The coal cluster project is being realised by Severnaya Zvezda (part of AEON Corporation) on the basis of the Syradasaysky coal deposit and envisages the establishment of production of coal concentrates from coking coal with a capacity of 5 Mt per annum with the possibility of expansion to 10 Mt per annum. The cluster will include an open-pit coal mine, a coal preparation plant for deep processing, a shift camp, and a marine terminal. The cluster is part of the Yenisei Siberia comprehensive investment project.

Region: Murmansk region

Operator/initiator: Norilsk Nickel and Atomredmetzoloto

Project stage: A licence for development was obtained

Timeframe: 2030

Atomredmetzoloto (ARMZ, Rosatom’s mining division) and Nornickel obtained a licence to develop a lithium ore deposit in the Murmansk region. The Kolmozersky site will be developed by the Polar Lithium joint venture, which paid ₽1.56 billion for the licence. The licence is valid for 20 years. The Kolmozersky deposit development project envisages processing of 1.96 Mt of ore per annum and production of 45 Kt of lithium carbonate and hydroxide per annum. Completion of design and geological exploration work is planned in a few years, and the project is expected to reach its design capacity by 2030 acoording to the company’s statement.

Region: Murmansk region

Operator/initiator: Fedorovo Resources

Project stage: Passing examinations

Timeframe: 2027

Investments: ₽60 billion

Fedorov Tundra is the world’s largest palladium deposit. In spring 2020, the rights to develop the rich deposit were transferred to a Russian consortium with participation of the state corporation Rostec. The new investor, JV Fedorovo Holding, is ready to invest ₽60 billion in the development of the deposit and start design and survey work. The consortium’s management plans to start production in 2027, by which time two open pit mines for open pit ore mining will be built along with the main facilities of the processing plant with an annual capacity of up to 16 Mt.

Region: Murmansk region

Operator/initiator: Kola MMC Project

stage: Realisation

Timeframe: 2025

Investments: ₽3.5 billion

The environmental project at Kola MMC envisages complete closure of the smelting shop in Nickel, modernisation of the Zapolyarny processing plant, construction of a concentrate shipping hub for consumers, discontinuation of copper production in Monchegorsk using the outdated copper anode electrolysis technology, and construction of a new modern production facility using electroextraction technology. With the closure of the smelting shop, Nornickel’s production chain was adjusted. Preliminarily, the flotation shop at the Zapolyarny processing plant was modernised to produce two types of concentrate for sale: rich and poor. Currently, the construction of the first poor concentrate shipment hub with a capacity of 250 Kt has been completed. The second hub under construction, for rich concentrate, is in pilot operation.