Preparations for the launch of production at the processing plant of the Nezhdaninskoye (Nezhda) gold mine of Polymetal are in full swing. The deposit is located in Yakutia and is the fourth largest gold deposit in Russia. A key equipment element of the plant is the filter presses – which are currently being installed and are Chinese Jingjin brand filter presses made in Dezhou, Shandong by Jingjin Environmental Protection Inc and supplied by its Russian distributor RIDTEC based in Moscow.

The Jingjin brand press filters were delivered last year and are being used both for dewatering tailings as well as silver and gold concentrates. Dewatering of the tailings will be carried out on four chamber-membrane filter presses with a filtration area of ​​1,000 m2. For the filtration of the gold-bearing concentrates, two chamber-membrane filter presses with a filtration area of ​​240 m2 are being used. The package includes equipment for water supply for sludge extraction, and also provides for automatic regeneration of the filter cloth. For the dewatering of the concentrate containing silver, a filter press of a similar configuration with a filtering area of ​​50 m2 has been supplied.

The chief installers of the RIDTEC company are now in Yakutia at the Nezhda plant site carrying out the installation of this equipment which will take about a month. This is not the first experience of RIDTEC supplying JingJin filter presses to Yakutia. In 2012, filter presses were supplied to Seligdar Gold, “where JingJin equipment showed high reliability,” despite the harsh climatic conditions. The filter presses are still running with no issues. The commissioning of the plant at the Nezhda and the first production are planned in the 4th quarter of 2021. This is one of the largest projects of Polymetal in Russia.

Nezhda’s estimated Proved and Probable Ore Reserves are 4.4 Moz of gold equivalent at an average grade of 3.6 g/t. The project includes an open-pit and underground mine, and a conventional on-site concentrator followed by concentrate processing at the Amursk POX and/or 3rd-party off-take. This ensures low capital intensity for the project. It will produce 155,000-180,000 oz per year until 2045.