The total investment in port infrastructure development is estimated at RUB40 billion

MMC Norilsk Nickel will invest 40 billion rubles in building up the handling capacity of the Port of Dudinka. The port is a major hub for freight flows transported to the Taimyr Peninsula, an official of the company said.

“We have launched a large-scale investment program to modernize facilities to increase freight throughput accross the supply chain. In particular, we plan to increase handling capacity of the Port of Dudinka, which is a gateway to Taimyr, from 3.5 to 5 million tonnes. We are investing RUB 40 billion. We are completely upgrading the crane facilities, more than 50 port cranes will be replaced with new ones. By the way, already 11 of them have entered service ,” the PortNews correspondent quoted Sergey Dubovitsky, Nornickel Senior VP as saying at the SPIEF in St.Petersburg.

Sergey Dubovitsky said at forum that during the 2022 winter navigation season, 75% of voyages were in the interests of Norilsk Nickel. “This is a colossal strain on the entire supply chain. And the main driver of this growth is the implementation of investment projects,” he added.

Over the past five years, cargo traffic volume of Norilsk Nickel on the Northern Sea Route (NSR) has totaled 1.3-1.5 million tonnes annually. These are primarily social goods, food products, material and technical resources necessary to support enterprises located in the Norilsk industrial region, as well as production products (copper matte, copper products, gas condensate and other goods).

Previously the company said that after the completion of large investment projects at manufacturing enterprises the volume of nickel-copper matte transportation is expected to be increased by 100-200,000 tonnes per year, approximately from 2025.

The Port of Dudinka is the only port in the world that operates year-round in the Far North severe conditions.

Norilsk Nickel's fleet consists of six ice-class sea-going vessels: five dry cargo ships and one tanker. There are 30 public berths in the port. Eight of them can accommodate sea vessels with a draft of up to 10 meters.

MMC Norilsk Nickel is a diversified mining and metallurgical company, the world’s largest producer of palladium and high-grade nickel and a major producer of platinum and copper. The company also produces cobalt, rhodium, silver, gold, iridium, ruthenium, selenium, tellurium, sulphur and other products. The production units of Norilsk Nickel Group are located at the Norilsk Industrial District, on the Kola Peninsula and Zabaykalsky Krai in Russia as well as in Finland and South Africa.

Source: PortNews