Russian Transbaikalia’s new mining and processing plant to offer more jobs

The Bystrinsky Mining and Processing Plant in south-east Transbaikalia, which Norilsk Nickel schedules for the current year’s last quarter, will offer more than 2,000 new jobs in the region, the territory’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economic Development Sergei Novichenko.

“The Bystrinsky plant will offer about 1,200 jobs at the plant itself, and about 1,000 jobs at the supporting enterprises,” he said, adding the regional authorities did not have data on the future plant’s tax base, as it depends on the copper rates.

Russia’s Nornickel to present social, economic projects at Arctic forum
“Everything will become clear closer to autumn,” he said.

The plant’s personnel will work there on a rotational base, they will stay at temporary rotational settlement, which will offer certain social facilities, like a gym, canteen, and sports ground. “The settlement is due to be ready by September, 2017,” Nornickel said.

The regional authorities say construction of the mining and processing plant will favor the social and economic development of the entire region. The plant will pay taxes to different layers of budgets – the income, property, and road taxes. Besides, the plan will participate in financing of various social programs in education, healthcare and sports.

Nornickel’s press service said the exact time the new plant would be put operational is still to be advised. Besides, the company’s plans for 2017 include railway infrastructures, and external electricity supplies.

Earlier reports said the new mining and processing plant was due to be put operational in October, 2017.

The Bystrinsky mining and processing plant in the Transbaikalia territory is among Nornickel’s first-class assets. The total amount of investments in its construction will make about $1.7 billion.

The plant is being constructed on the base of a copper-iron-gold deposit, where the reserves are estimated at 2.1 million tons of copper, 7.6 million ounces of gold, 34.1 million ounces of silver and 67 million tons of magnetite iron. It is among the ten biggest copper deposits in the world.

The new plant will produce 60-70 thousand tons of copper a year. The deposit is 300 km from the border between Russia and China, and China would be the key market for the plant’s copper concentrate.

source: tass.com