Nornickel Advances Copper-Nickel Mining Project at Severny Mine
Nornickel, one of the world’s largest producers of non-ferrous and precious metals, is moving forward with a significant copper-nickel ore mining project at its Severny mine. The project will target deposits at depths of 430 to 730 meters within the Zhdanovskoye, Bystrinskoye, and Tundrovoye sites, which form part of the Pechenga Group, the raw materials base for Nornickel’s Kola Division.
The ambitious project involves the commissioning of three start-up complexes. The first is scheduled to begin operations in 2028, with subsequent phases in 2030 and 2031. Once operational, the Severny mine is expected to achieve an annual production capacity of 7 million tonnes of ore, extending the mine’s lifespan until 2048. Long-term plans include mining reserves at depths of 0.9 to 1.4 kilometers.
Currently, Kola Mining and Metallurgical Company (KMMC), a subsidiary of Nornickel, operates two mines, Severny and Severny-Gluboky, which primarily exploit deposits in the Western cluster of the Pechenga Group. The new project is critical as existing reserves gradually deplete, requiring deeper subsurface mining to sustain raw material extraction levels.
The Pechenga Group comprises two ore clusters, Western and Eastern, encompassing deposits such as Zhdanovskoye, Bystrinskoye, Tundrovoye, Zapolyarnoye, Verkhneye, and Sputnik. Additional deposits like Semiletka and Kotselvaara-Kammikivi lie nearby, providing further resource potential.
The scale of the Severny mine project underscores its complexity, with plans to excavate nearly 347,000 cubic meters of rock mass. However, it remains strategically vital for Nornickel, as it will enable KMMC to maintain annual output of up to 170,000 tonnes of nickel and 70,000 tonnes of copper, excluding platinum and palladium. This ensures the company can meet its contractual obligations and support global demand for critical metals.
In 2024, Nornickel’s production targets included 184,000-194,000 tonnes of nickel, 334,000-354,000 tonnes of copper, 2.296-2.451 million troy ounces of palladium, and 567,000-605,000 troy ounces of platinum.
