MMC Norilsk Nickel begins to review bids from participants of international tender for sulfur recovery

MMC Norilsk Nickel, JSC began to review bids coming from Russian and international companies which took part in international tender for implementation of state-of-the-art sulfur dioxide recovery at Copper Plant and Nadezhda Metallurgical Plant (CP and NMP).

The tender was posted in February 2011, and bid submitting deadlines were postponed twice following requests of the participants. Initially, around 15 Russian and international companies applied for participation in the tender. By October 17, the final deadline, technical and commercial offers were submitted by 5 participants comprising both Russian and international companies. The offers include recovery of at least 95% of sulfur dioxide from metallurgical off-gases at CP and NMP. Together with the currently implemented project aimed at increase of NMP capacity and shut down of agglomeration and smelting areas at Nickel Plant, this should lead to considerable decrease of sulfur dioxide emission into atmosphere.

It is expected that the chosen contractor shall provide the following:

• Installation of NMP flash furnaces and CP Vanyukov furnaces off-gases dust fine cleaning systems;

• Construction NMP flash furnaces and CP Vanyukov furnaces off-gases sulfur dioxide concentration units;

• Reconstruction of NMP and CP sulfur recovery lines securing the treatment of all concentrated sulfur dioxide and production of elementary sulfur;

• Construction of converter off-gases sulfur dioxide cooling, dust cleaning, and concentration systems with subsequent treatment (to elementary sulfur) at CP sulfur recovery lines.

The annual production volume of commercial sulfur in the Company’s Polar Division shall exceed 900 thousand tons. Furthermore, off-gases shall be used as the raw material for production of sulfuric acid for copper and nickel electrolysis ships, and for production of sulfuric reagent for concentration purposes. Off-gases dust fine cleaning systems shall provide for considerable decrease of nonferrous metal particles emission into atmosphere.

Expert team that includes representatives of Polar Division, Gipronickel Institute, and Head Office of the Company, has begun to review the technical and commercial offers. It is expected that the contractor shall be chosen by December 15, 2011, at the latest.