Since early 2021, Nornickel has procured 21 units of new machinery for Polar Division’s nickel, copper and PGMs mining operations, with another 58 units of various type and purpose to be delivered by the year-end – so 79 units in total for the year. The total spending on the division’s mining fleet upgrade in 2021 is set to exceed RUB6 billion (almost $82 million). The purchased machinery includes self-propelled drilling rigs, load-haul dump (LHD) loaders, underground mining trucks and auxiliary equipment. Most of the new machinery will go to Komsomolsky (27 units), Taimyrsky (18 units), Oktyabrsky (14 units), Skalisty (13 units) and Mayak (7 units) mines.

All the self-propelled mining equipment purchased for Polar Division was made in line with the design criteria and technical specifications developed by the engineers of Polar Division based on their extensive hands-on experience of operating similar machines. The new equipment is being supplied by Epiroc, Caterpillar, Sandvik, Normet and others.

In 2020, the division’s mining facilities received 79 units of self-propelled equipment worth RUB2.7 billion and in 2021, the cost of the new equipment will exceed RUB6 billion. Nornickel said this surge in investment is due to “the purchase of unique cutting-edge machinery.” For instance, this year Oktyabrsky and Komsomolsky mines will receive Caterpillar’s R1700 high-tech load-haul-dump (LHD) loaders with a payload capacity of 15 t. “Compared to its predecessors with a great industry track record, this model boasts a higher productivity and up-to-date equipment. The loader cab is designed using an advanced technology, the bucket now has removable bolt-on edge protectors (previously weld-on) and the transmission is equipped with a traction control system.”

Overall, the mining facilities of Nornickel’s Polar Division currently operate more than 596 units of various self-propelled vehicles.