Finland (Norilsk Nickel Harjavalta)
Harjavalta processes the Company’s Russian feedstock and nickel-containing raw materials sourced from third-party suppliers.
Norilsk Nickel Harjavalta has a total nickel processing capacity of 66 ktpa. The plant uses sulphuric acid leaching, the best-in-industry solution for nickel semi-products with the metal recovery rates of over 98%.
Norilsk Nickel Harjavalta’s commercial products include nickel cathodes, briquettes and salts, and cobalt sulphates. The plant also manufactures semi-products, including PGM-bearing copper cake and cobalt solution for further processing by third parties.
From 2H 2016, the refining facilities in Monchegorsk have been gradually increasing their nickel feedstock supplies in line with the Group’s nickel production reconfiguration strategy. Feedstock supplies from third parties continued unabated and included converter matte from BHP (Australia), matte and converter matte from Boliden Harjavalta (Finland), converter matte from BCL (Botswana), and nickel sulphide concentrate from Terrafame (Finland).
In 2016, Norilsk Nickel Harjavalta produced 53.7 kt of seleable nickel, up 23% y-o-y, owing to reconfiguration of the Company’s refining facilities and, consequently, larger nickel feedstock supplies from Kola MMC.
The third party sales of copper in copper cake totalled 9.6 kt, down 26% y-o-y. This was mainly due to the increased supplies to Kola MMC.
Nickel and copper recovery rates improved on the back of a decrease in losses of nickel and copper with ferrous cakes.
| Metal | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nickel | 97.1 | 97.8 | 98.3 |
| Copper | 99.3 | 99.6 | 99.7 |
| Palladium | 99.3 | 99.6 | 99.4 |
| Platinum | 99.3 | 99.6 | 99.4 |
| Metal | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seleable nickel, t | 42,603 | 43,479 | 53,654 |
| including the Company's Russian feedstock | 0 | 424 | 19,012 |
| Copper in copper cake, t | 10,629 | 13,048 | 9,598 |
| including the Company's Russian feedstock | 0 | 0 | 593 |
| Palladium in copper cake, koz | 71 | 78 | 64 |
| including the Company's Russian feedstock | 0 | 0 | 8 |
| Platinum in copper cake, koz | 31 | 33 | 22 |
| including the Company's Russian feedstock | 0 | 0 | 2 |