Zapolyarny mine to go deeper to secure operations for another two decades
Work is now under way to deepen the central ventilation shaft, enabling ore extraction several hundred metres below current levels. The expansion is expected to extend mining operations until at least 2048.
Nornickel has begun expanding the Severny mine in Zapolyarny on the Kola Peninsula, close to Russia’s border with Norway, the company said.
“By developing the new level, we will reach 7 million tonnes of ore production by 2030. This will secure the operation of the Polar division until 2048 and beyond, and will become a true growth driver for the entire Pechenga district,” said Roman Sharkiy, CEO of Kola Mining and Metallurgical Combine (Kola GMK), the regional branch of Nornickel.
The mine at Zapolyarny primarily produces nickel, copper, cobalt, and by-products such as platinum-group metals, including palladium and platinum.
After extraction, the ore is crushed, milled, and processed through flotation before being upgraded into a nickel-copper sulphide concentrate. This concentrate is then transported from Zapolyarny to metallurgical facilities in Monchegorsk, further south on the Kola Peninsula.
The nickel matte smelter in the nearby town of Nikel was shut down in late 2020 as part of Nornickel’s environmental modernisation programme.
Over the past two years, a shaft-boring division has been established for the Severny mine in Zapolyarny, completing substantial work on the project’s initial start-up complex. Since 2024 more than 85,000 cubic meters of permanent mining have been completed, including underground crushing chambers, part of the main deep-level ore transport route, and a conveyor ramp.
Mining at the new depth is scheduled to begin in 2028, with total reserves estimated at around 120 million tonnes. The target production level of 7 million tonnes per year represents an increase of 1 million tonnes compared with current output.
By the end of the planned period (2048 and beyond), mining is expected to reach depths of up to 1,400 metres, making Zapolyarny comparable in depth to Garpenberg Mine in Sweden.
The company said the deeper mine would become "a real growth driver for the entire Pechenga district."
Nornickel will invest 13.5 billion roubles in the current phase of the project.
