§ 1.1. Background

Owing to tremendous growth of USSR industry in the 1930's there was a sharp need in non-ferrous metals, nickel in particular. So, in order to design tin and nickel-containing ore mining and processing operations Sojuznickelolovoproject was established in Leningrad on October 1, 1934. Later it was renamed into Gipronickel Institute JS.

1934-1940
    In 1935 construction of Yuzhuralnickel Combine was started due to the first project of the Institute, and in 1936 construction of Severonickel Combine was begun. In 1939 both enterprises produced their first crude nickel.
    Designing of Norilsk Mining & Metallurgical Combine was commenced. At the same period, Sojuznickelolovoproject performed designs for Khapcheranginsk, Sinanchinsk, Ekhe-Khaininsk Tin Ore Mining & Processing Combines, Podolsk Tin Plant. In 1940, on the order of the USSR Government, Sojuznickelolovoproject commenced planning of ore basis for aluminium industry, including North Ural bauxite mines area.

1940-1945
    During the World War II, Sojuznickelolovoproject was performing the project documentation for operating nickel plants, mainly for Yuzhuralnickel Combine. Also, the Institute' specialists were designing Krasnoiarsk Non-Ferrous Metals Plant and Novosibirsk Tin Plant. In 1945, Sojuznickelolovoproject was re-organised into Gipronickel Research, Development and Design Institute.

1945-1960
    In 1946, Research & Development Department was established at the Institute. Since 1947 Gipronickel Institute has been engaged in design work for enterprises of tungsten-molybdenum industry, and since 1954 - in designing of mercury-antimony operations. In 1946 through 1958, work in process flowsheet upgrading and expansion of Severonickel, Yuzhuralnickel, Pechenganickel Combines and Ufaley Nickel Plant, as well as work on projects for Tyrnyauz Tungsten-Molybdenum Plant, Nalchik Hydrometallurgic Plant and Nikitovsk Mercury Combine were among the major developments performed at the Institute.

1960-1980
    The time between 1960 and 1980 was the period of the Institute most rapid development and of the increase in the amount of research-and development as well as design work. The Institute participated in rehabilitation of Cuban nickel operations, in the expansion and reconstruction of the Nickel Plant at Norilsk Combine, in designing and construction of the 1-st and the 2-nd stages of Nadezhda Metallurgical Plant (Norilsk Combine), in designing Burukhtalskiy Nickel Plant and in expansion of Severonickel Combine, where with the help of the institute unique production of carbonyls was started. Besides the Institute took part in designing of Punta Gorda Plant (Cuba), it fulfilled the design for expantion and reconstruction of Novosibirsk Tin Plant and Riaztzvetmet Plant. The design of Tuvacobalt Combine as well as the design for Yuzhuraknickel Combine expansion and modernization, where Cuban concentrates were processed, were also carried by the Institute. When all those projects were built the Gipronickel Institute contributed a lot in assimilation of new technologies at them. During the same period ferro-nickel operations in Yugoslavia and Ukraine were designed and built.

1980-2005
    During this period, great attention was paid to such aspects as improving the processing art and increasing the level of integrated utilisation of copper and nickel stuff, noble metals ores and concentrates; theoretical studies in pyro- and hydrometallurgical processes for non-ferrous metals production and their mathematical modelling; environmental protection issues. Over 100 open-pits and mines and over 80 non-ferrous metals operations in Russia and CIS have been built due to the Institute' developments and projects:
  • practically all enterprises producing nickel, cobalt and precious metals;
  • mining operations in aluminium industry;
  • tin and tungsten-molybdenum operations;
  • mercury-antimony operations.
    Since 1990, Gipronickel Institute has been affiliated with Norilsk Nickel State Concern incorporating Norilsk Mining & Metallurgic Combine, Severonickel Combine, Pechenganickel Mining & Metallurgic Combine, Krasnoyarsk Non-Ferrous Metals Plant, Olenegorsk Machine Works and Gipronickel Institute. In 1994, the Concern was re-organised into Norilsk Nickel Russian joint-stock company producing non-ferrous and precious metals (RAO Norilsk Nickel), and since then all the enterprises within the Concern structure, including Gipronickel Institute, have become its affiliate joint-stock companies.
    At present, Gipronickel Institute JS is the main scientific and design centre of GMK Norilsk Nickel RJS.

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