Russia's Nornickel Says Will Continue Sulfur Project Regardless Of Any Circumstances

MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 09th July, 2020) Russia's Nornickel metals company told reporters on Wednesday that it would carry out its so-called sulfur project, which is aimed at lowering sulfur dioxide emissions in the Russian Arctic city of Norilsk, regardless of any circumstances, as it faces a $2-billion fine for the environmental damage caused by a fuel spill.

On May 29, some 21,000 tonnes of diesel leaked out of a fuel tank at the Norilsk-Taimyr Energy Company's Thermal Power Plant No. 3 and seeped into a nearby river. According to Nornickel, which owns the power plant where the accident took place, the spill was caused by melting permafrost, which set the supports of the fuel tank in motion. The emergency services have announced having localized the spill. Russia's Rosprirodnadzor environmental watchdog has assessed the incurred damage as approximately $2 billion, for the water and soil pollution.

"The sulfur project is Nornickel's largest and most important environmental initiative that will provide a decrease in sulfur dioxide emissions in Norilsk to practically zero. The estimated investments into the sulfur project until 2025 are $3.5 billion, and the company intends to implement is regardless of any external circumstances," Nornickel said.

Earlier in the day, Russian Natural Resources Minister Dmitry Kobylkin said that Nornickel's investments into the sulfur project would not be extracted from the sum the company has to pay to cover the environmental damage caused by the oil spill as the initiative is not related to the accident.