EcoTourism.Expert
At the session of the International Arctic Forum 2025, "Arctic Environmental Well-being: Strategies for Cooperation between the State and Business," Nikolay Utkin, First Vice President of Norilsk Nickel, Head of Government Relations, emphasized that the Russian Arctic is one of the most promising territories in the country, and the state has set a course for developing its potential. However, any major project always has an environmental footprint. Therefore, the balance between how to develop natural resources and not harm nature, especially the fragile nature of the Arctic zone, is very delicate. But Norilsk Nickel understands that operating in such a unique and vulnerable region requires a special approach and responsibility, so it is systematically implementing a number of environmental projects, Nikolay Utkin noted.
All such Norilsk Nickel events are outlined in the Strategy in the field of ecology and climate change until 2031, which the company seriously updated last year, re-prioritizing. The mandatory part, for example, includes everything related to air, water, waste, tailings storage, soils, biodiversity, and others. The main and most capital-intensive part of the entire volume of environmental investments is the large-scale Sulfur Program, which is also a key component of the federal project "Clean Air." However, it all started back in 2016, when Norilsk Nickel closed the outdated Nickel Plant in the center of Norilsk. After that, the company carried out a partial reconfiguration of metallurgical production, and at the Nadezhda Metallurgical Plant (NMP), facilities for the utilization of sulfur dioxide were built.
The company's investment in the Sulfur Program exceeded 200 billion rubles, and the company did not receive commercial benefits from this. "But these are investments that should pay off in terms of the health of Norilsk residents, as well as nature conservation. And this is more expensive than money," Nikolay Utkin emphasized. Due to the achievement of the design capacity of the entire sulfur dioxide utilization complex, emissions of this main air pollutant in the city should decrease by more than 700 thousand tons by the end of 2025, Nikolay Utkin said. At the same time, according to him, the share of Russian equipment and technologies in the project eventually amounted to 75%. "Of course, this was very difficult for us. We had to build everything during the period of first covid restrictions, then strict sanctions policy. Initially, the share of imported equipment was 75%, but we managed to turn everything around. As a result, the implemented technology allows capturing at least 99% of sulfur dioxide at two smelting units - such high equipment efficiency was verified by Rosprirodnadzor," Utkin recalled.
Comprehensive testing of the first technological line of the sulfuric acid neutralization complex at NMP was started in October 2023. Last September, the company launched the second technological line. As a result, last year, in commissioning mode, Norilsk Nickel managed to utilize about 390 thousand tons of sulfur dioxide. This year, after reaching full capacity of the second line, the company expects to reduce emissions of this gas by 735 thousand tons. "This will allow the company to achieve the planned indicators provided for by the federal project "Clean Air." As a result, emissions in the residential area of Norilsk will decrease by 45%, and at NMP alone - by 90%," Nikolay Utkin noted.
According to him, Norilsk Nickel is interested in ensuring that Norilsk residents can independently assess the effect of the company's environmental measures, especially such large-scale ones. To do this, at the end of 2024, the company launched an air quality monitoring system in Norilsk, based on 16 automated stations located in different parts of the city. And the interface is made intuitive not only for specialists, but also for ordinary residents. "This is a kind of traffic light that is available not only to Norilsk residents, but to all interested parties anywhere in Russia. On the city hall's website, you can see online what is happening with the air at a particular moment in a certain part of the city," Utkin said. Another important project the company will complete by the end of this year is to launch automatic control at seven Norilsk Nickel emission sources included in the quota objects under "Clean Air." "We are installing sensors directly on the chimneys themselves. I hope this will close the eternal dispute between business and state control bodies. Then it will be possible to see exactly how much sulfur dioxide has stopped being emitted into the atmosphere," the top manager emphasized.
"Norilsk was historically considered one of the most polluted cities - such a Soviet industrial legacy. But I say this in the past tense for a reason. We have taken on an ambitious task - to improve the environmental situation in the regions of our operations," Nikolay Utkin noted.
Recalling that in the Murmansk region, Norilsk Nickel has already reduced sulfur dioxide emissions by 90% by simply closing outdated and inefficient production facilities in Nickel and Monchegorsk. In Norilsk, where all the company's pyrometallurgy is now concentrated, Norilsk Nickel had to act differently. To go a longer and more thorny path.
Nikolay Utkin also recalled other company projects with a clearly defined environmental component. Among them is the "big cleanup" under "Clean Norilsk" with a budget of 40 billion rubles. As well as a geotechnical monitoring system for "permafrost." "Our company is focused on sustainable development, where ecology and economy go hand in hand. We are confident that only in this approach is harmony possible between industrial growth and the preservation of the Arctic's natural resources for future generations. We must remember one thing - people can forgive, but nature does not forgive mistakes," Nikolay Utkin summarized.
