Norilsk Nickel has begun construction on a $43.5-million project to properly dispose nickel-refining acidic effluents in Russia’s Murmansk region. The endeavor, according to company officials, will ensure water ecosystems safety adjacent to the Kola MMC industrial area in Monchegorsk. Implementation is expected to finish in 2015.
Based on new technology, the process involves evaporating liquid wastes from electrolytic nickel production—sodium sulphate and chloride—and transforming them into commercial products, according to MMC. Upon implementation, said company representatives, sodium chloride and boron emissions will be reduced to zero. Sodium sulphate emissions will be reduced by nearly 400%.
Evgeny Yakovlev, Norilsk’s first deputy general director, noted that “environmental impact is a key priority of Norilsk Nickel.”
