Norilsk will become home to a resin-grouted rock bolt manufacturing site. As a new rock bolting technology is being already rolled out across the mines of Nornickel’s Polar Division, producing rock bolts right at the Norilsk site will help cut operating costs and eliminate dependency on external supplies.

Last year Nornickel approved and launched a rock bolting improvement programme at the Polar Division mines to ensure safe working conditions by using resin-grouted rock bolting solutions. They are made of a combination of two materials such as quick-hardening polyester resin and metal anchor. Resin grouted bolts provide secure polyester resin adhesion to the reinforcement bar and the rock contour of borehole walls (a hole in mine working of up to 2.4 m in depth) creating a protective stiffened layer that can effectively sustain rock pressure. The Company will use self-propelled roof bolters for rock bolt installation.

Norilsk Support Complex, the Company’s subsidiary, will deploy rock bolt production at its Mechanical Plant, right at the Norilsk production site, to ensure uninterrupted supply of rock bolts to the Polar Division’s mining entities, thus cutting operating costs, eliminating dependency on external suppliers, and making sure that the necessary technical requirements are met.

The new rock bolt production site is expected to cover the needs of the Polar Division and make 2 million pcs annually. The Company will invest ca. RUB 400 m into the project launching two production sites.

A rock bolt set has two elements: a steel anchor and polyester resin capsules. They are manufactured separately, each requiring several production lines. The Company is now procuring steel anchor manufacturing equipment and carrying out a feasibility study on polyester resin capsules production in the Norilsk Industrial District. The commissioning of steel anchor lines is scheduled for Q1 2019, polyester capsules — for Q1 2020.

The new bolting technology will significantly improve safety and make the rock bolting process much faster.

Resin-grouted rock bolts to be manufactured in Norilsk