OREANDA-NEWS. February 07, 2012. OJSC MMC Norilsk Nickel (MMC Norilsk Nickel or the Company) announces the 2011 operational results of its subsidiary in Finland – Norilsk Nickel Harjavalta Oy (Harjavalta or NNH), reported the press-centre of Norilsk Nickel.

In 2011 MMC Norilsk Nickel initiated implementation of a number of innovative organizational methods and technologies at NNH which resulted in considerable improvement of its key production indicators.

The 2011 finished products production plan was exceeded for all metals. Nickel production for 2011 was 3 444 tons higher than planned and totaled 48.5 thousand tons. Production plan was exceeded by 374 tons and 3 717 tons for nickel cathodes and nickel briquettes respectively.

Reconstruction of Harjavalta was carried out in 2011 using the technologies suggested by the Russian specialists form MMC Norilsk Nickel. Operations using a fundamentally new converter matte leaching technology (“non-matte” technology) were initiated in H2 2011 as a result of this reconstruction. This technology significantly lowered irrecoverable losses of precious and non-ferrous metals with waste ferrous cakes, reduced operational expenses and increased production capacity of converter matte processing plant. Given the projected impact of this innovation, Harjavalta’s 2012 budget sets the nickel production targets at 52 thousand tons combined with a corresponding increase in secondary metal production.

All full-scale industrial tests of the new technologies, as well as their implementation and commissioning were carried out without stopping the operations.

According to the Director of Operations Management Department of MMC Norilsk Nickel, Alexander Ryumin: “given the current nickel prices, Harjavalta remains consistently profitable as the Company’s subsidiary, as for the technical capabilities – it is one of the most advanced nickel refining plants in the world”.

ABOUT HARJAVALTA:
Harjavalta is located in Western Finland on the territory of Northern Europe’s largest industrial park.  NNH is integrated into the Company’s nickel assets (Australia, South Africa, Botswana and Kola MMC)

NNH is one of the most highly diversified nickel companies in the world:

- Nickel Products: nickel cathodes, nickel briquettes, nickel powder, nickel sulphate, nickel hydroxycarbonate, nickel carbonate, nickel hydroxide, nickel sulphate solution;

- Copper remaining after leaching process (cuprous cake) contains the array of precious metals found in the initial feed material (Au, Ag, Pt, Pd, Rh etc.);

- Cobalt sulphate solution;
NNH is the largest company in the world in terms of high-quality crystallized nickel sulphate production (6 thousand tons a year). Surrounding infrastructure is well-developed due to proximity of industrial cluster. The firm fully complies with the European environmental protection standards and has a very good industrial safety record. NNH  features high levels of automation in all  production sectors.

NNH uses the most advanced hydrometallurgical processes in the world: atmospheric and autoclave oxidizing leaching, atmospheric refining in nitrogen atmosphere, three types of liquid extraction (calcium, cobalt and nickel), autoclave hydrogen reduction, nickel electroextraction, pure nickel chemicals production technologies for high-tech industries.

Harjavalta uses unique new generation high-performance equipment: high-volume autoclaves with titanium plating and internal titanium elements, Oktop chemical reactors, Superflow high-performance thickeners, Outotec extractors, Larox continuous operation filter-presses, Pannevis vacuum-filters and other equipment. In terms of the general technological level, almost all equipment currently used by the firm is of the highest quality. Production processes are fully automated and equipped with computer control systems.