Nornickel to Launch Permafrost Monitoring System Amid Climate Concerns

Nornickel, the Russian mining and metallurgical company, has revealed plans to implement a comprehensive permafrost monitoring system at its hydro-technical structures by mid-2025. This move comes as an initiative to fortify infrastructure against the unpredictable permafrost thaw patterns resulting from global climatic shifts.

Speaking at the “Yenisei RF” media forum in Krasnoyarsk, Anton Pryamitsky, Deputy Chief Engineer of the company’s Polar Division, informed that hazardous production facilities at NTEC, a Nornickel subsidiary, are already equipped with sensors. The focus now shifts to their hydro-technical facilities, particularly tailing ponds. “By the middle of 2025, we should complete this task,” Pryamitsky said.

The company has channeled 2 billion rubles into the development of this monitoring system. Emphasizing its significance, Pryamitsky stated, “This isn’t just a collection of sensors; it’s an interconnected ecosystem involving various business processes.” This extensive system encompasses visual inspections, thorough examinations by expert bodies, and drilling related to the facilities. Notably, the equipment and software integrated into the system are domestically sourced.

The necessity of such a system became glaringly evident in May 2020, when a fuel tank at Norilsk CHPP-3, belonging to Norilsk-Taimyr Energy Company, ruptured, resulting in a catastrophic spill of 21 thousand tons of petroleum products. Preliminary investigations have attributed the calamity to ground thawing, an offshoot of global climate change. In response, Nornickel initiated the permafrost monitoring program to preclude such incidents in the future.