Russia-based mining and metals company Nornickel is preparing to receive six shell and tube heat exchangers for sulphuric acid production as part of the Sulphur Programme to capture sulphur dioxide emissions at its Nadezhda Metallurgical and Copper smelters.
The six heat exchangers were assembled and tested at a special site in St Petersburg and delivered to the Port of Dudinka in an ice-class vessel on 21 January 2021.
The company has prepared a "transport corridor" to transport the heat exchangers to the Sulphur Programme site. This includes engineering communications, plane structures, additional turning and reloading sites.
The Sulphur Programme technology includes the intermediate production of sulphuric acid with a high degree of sulphur dioxide recovery. Nornickel said this is "the proven and most efficient way" of utilising sulphur dioxide in the metal and mining industry.
The company explained that the technology captures 99% or more of the gas from the units on which it is installed.
Additionally, it said the programme will cut sulphur dioxide emissions in Norilsk, Russia's northernmost city, are down 90% after 2025
Five more heat exchangers are expected at the Dudinka Seaport in the middle of March, and then four more — later in March. These units were manufactured for the Sulphur Program by one of Russia's largest process equipment manufacturers, the Volgogradneftemash factory.
Since the start of the Sulphur Program, about 71,000 cubic metres of concrete work has been completed at the Nadezhda Smelter. Over 10,000 tonnes of steelwork and 1,368 tonnes of equipment have been erected.
In addition to the Sulphur Programme, Nornickel said it would invest RUB 5 billion ($63 million) in 2022 on new machinery and equipment for the Kola Division.
In total, the company will purchase 2,000 units of equipment, including 14 filter presses for the chemical and metallurgical shop. Its Kola MMC asset will "increase its expenditure on environmental issues," including a mobile laboratory for air monitoring.
