Atomredmetzoloto, Atomflot and VostokCoal agree on cooperation in Russian Arctic
Director General of JSC Atomredmetzoloto Vladimir Verhovtsev, Director General of FSUE Atomflot Vyacheslav Ruksha and Chairman of the Board of Directors of VostokCoal Dmitry Bosov have signed an Agreement on Cooperation in Comprehensive Development of the RF Arctic zone, IAA PortNews correspondent reports from the IV International Arctic Forum ‘Arctic – Territory of Dialogue’ (29-30 March 2017, Arkhangelsk).
The agreement provides for the establishment of mutually beneficial partnership and cooperation on a number of issues, in particular, in ensuring uninterrupted and environmentally safe icebreaker support of vessels on the Northern Sea Route, as well as joint development of polymetallic, coal and other deposits, including the design and construction of ore mining and processing enterprises in the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation.
According to Vyacheslav Ruksha, General Director of Atomflot, “the unique experience of Rosatomflot is the backbone of the largest projects in high latitudes”.
In addition, the parties agreed to interact when considering other joint projects in the region and various forms of cooperation.
One of the main areas of cooperation is the project aimed at development of the Pavlovskoye lead-zinc deposit (Yuzhny island of the Novaya Zemlya Archipelago in the Arkhangelsk region), particularly, the creation and equipping of the infrastructure of the mining and processing plant and the port complex.
“The experience of VostokCoal in fast launching of challenging projects in the Arctic, including mining operations, creation of transport infrastructure and establishment of logistics schemes, will contribute to the successful implementation of our joint plans”, said Dmitry Bosov, Chairman VostokCoal BoD.
Main areas of activity of FSUE “Atomflot” (part of Rosatom since 2008) are: icebreaker support of Arctic hydrocarbon projects; icebreaker support of vessels on the Northern Sea Route (SMP) and in freezing ports of the Russian Federation; providing a package of services for the PORT FLEET in Sabetta; icebreaker support of scientific expeditions in the Arctic; general and specific maintenance and repair of vessels; safe handling of nuclear materials and radioactive waste. The nuclear icebreaking fleet currently includes two nuclear icebreakers with a two-reactor atomic propulsion unit with a capacity of 75,000 hp ("Yamal", "50 years of Victory"), two icebreakers with a single-reactor atomic propulsion unit with a capacity of about 50,000 hp from. ("Taimyr", "Vaigach"), nuclear lighter-container ship "Sevmorput" with an atomic propulsion unit with a capacity of 40,000 hp and 5 vessels of technological service. Currently, a series of universal nuclear icebreakers is being built in St. Petersburg according to project 22220. They are "Arctic", "Ural" and "Siberia" with a capacity of 60 MW each. New icebreakers will have variable draft that will allow them to perform tasks as both linear (such as the "Arctic") and shallow-water (such as "Taimyr") nuclear icebreakers.
VostokCoal (VostokUgol Management Company) develops initiatives in the coal and anthracite production within the Russian Federation. This means production of best power-plant coal in the Kemerovo Region and antracite in the Novosibirsk Region. All the company’s facilities have been launched from scratch. Operation in the Arctic zone of Russia is the strategic activities of VostokCoal. The company is implementing the project on development of the Taimyr Coal Basin including the development of deposits and the construction of port Chaika with annual capacity of over 10 mln t of coal.
