Nornickel plans to launch Bystrinsky gold-processing plant in late 2027, early 2028

MOSCOW. Jan 28 (Interfax) - Nornickel has begun construction on its own gold-processing plant in the Transbaikal division, the Russian mining and smelting giant said.

Nornickel said that the project is scheduled to enter commercial operation in late 2027 to early 2028. "The project will improve throughput, increase volumes, and accelerate gold production," Nornickel noted.

Nornickel's Bystrinsky polymetallic deposit in Transbaikal produces three types of concentrate, namely copper, iron ore, and gold. Some ore contains high-grade gold, but processing it using the current production chain would result in insufficient gold recovery. The company decided to stockpile the gold-rich ore until it found an effective processing solution. Nornickel's Bystrinsky Mining and Processing Plant (GOK) in 2024 announced approval of a gold-processing plant with capacity of approximately 2.7 million tonnes of ore per year.

Bystrinsky GOK and the government of the Transbaikal Territory at the Eastern Economic Forum 2025 signed an agreement on constructing a gold processing plant worth 31.5 billion rubles.