Moscow, September 13, 2021 — Nornickel, the world’s largest producer of palladium and high-grade nickel and a major producer of platinum and copper, has made progress with its plans to deliver its flagship environmental project, the Sulphur Programme at the Nadezhda smelter. Since the beginning of 2021 alone, over RUB 10 bn has been spent on this project. The total cost of the programme, which includes sulphur dioxide capture and utilisation facilities at two smelters, is estimated at USD 4.1-4.3 bn (over RUB 300 bn).

**A handling truck operates at the site of the sulphur acid neutralisation unit (August 2021)**

The Sulphur Programme is a unique environmental initiative currently being developed by the Company’s Norilsk Division. It involves the launch of emissions capture facilities at two Norilsk smelters: the Nadezhda Metallurgical Plant and the Copper Plant.

The Sulphur Programme technology is based on the intermediate production of sulphuric acid with a high degree of sulphur dioxide extraction. It is a proven and most efficient method to utilise sulphur dioxide. The technology captures 99% or more of the gas from the units on which it is installed.

In total, Nornickel will invest over USD 6 bn (440 bn roubles) to deliver environmental projects by 2030. In addition to sulphur dioxide emissions reduction, the company’s holistic environmental programme includes projects for waste collection and land reclamation in the Norilsk industrial district, construction of waste treatment facilities and safe waste management systems.

As part of the Sulphur Programme, over 8 kt of steel structures have been erected at the Nadezhda smelter to date and over 35,000 cubic metres of concrete structures built. The gypsum storage facility is under construction, which will stock the resulting product, and will have characteristics as close as possible to those of naturally occurring gypsum.

Fifteen project facilities are currently under construction at the Nadezhda smelter, including the sulphuric acid production area, sulphuric acid warehouse, limestone intake and crushing unit, limestone milk preparation unit and sulphuric acid neutralisation shop.

Meanwhile, at the Copper smelter, Nornickel continues to upgrade the air purification dust treatment facility with the installation of new equipment and to draw up the necessary documentation for the major projects to be implemented at the smelter as part of the Sulphur Programme.

The Programme will enable Nornickel to achieve a 45% reduction of sulphur dioxide emissions in Norilsk by 2023 compared to 2015, and almost a 90% reduction by 2025.

Update on nornickel’s flagship environmental project