LLC Medvezhiy Ruchey, Norilsk, Russia

I. V. Gritsko, Chief Specialist of the Production and Technical Department, e-mail: GritskoIV-KAU@nornik.ru
Т. А. Аkulova, Chief Manager of the Production and Technical Department, e-mail: akulovata2@nornik.ru
S. V. Мanchenko, Chief Hydrologist of the Norilsk Concentrator – Head of the Safety Monitoring Department of Hydraulic Structures, e-mail: ManchenkoSV@nornik.ru
I. А. Аnanko, Head of the Production and Technical Departmen, e-mail: anankoia@nornik.ru

The large processing plant (later of Norilsk) became the cornerstone of the mining and metallurgical industry in Norilsk. Commissioned in 1948, the Norilsk Concentrator (NC) was a link in the technological chain of the Norilsk Industrial district between the extraction of the disseminated ore from the Norilsk-1 deposit and the production of nickel, copper, cobalt and other metals at metallurgical plants, which were of strategic importance to the Soviet economy. In the 1950s, the NC achieved significant production volumes, which allowed the USSR to actively develop the metallurgical industry. In the period 1960–1970, the factory began processing high-grade ore from the Talnakhskoye and Oktyabrskoye deposits, as well as modernizing equipment, installing new machines, and optimizing technologies, which increased operational efficiency. Also, in the 1960s, the design of the Lebyazhye tailings dump began. The construction of this hydraulic structure was carried out taking into account modern environmental and building regulations at that time. In 1983, the facility was successfully put into operation as part of an environmental program aimed at reducing the negative impact on the environment. Since 1998, the plant has entered an era of active reconstruction, which has significantly enhanced its production capabilities. Along the way, it has gone through multiple stages of modernization, from the first barge systems to the introduction of automated technologies that have significantly increased the efficiency of ore processing. On the threshold of 2026, the NC is striving to introduce the latest technologies, such as digitalization of processes, modernization of the flotation chain in the collective-selective flotation cycle, the use of advanced technologies related to waste storage, etc. The development of the NC guarantees its sustainability and reflects the many challenges of modern times. The transition to more modern methods will significantly strengthen its production capacity, while paying attention to ecology and the environment, which are important aspects in the work of such enterprises.

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