The active construction phase of the Baimsky GOK started

The active construction phase of the Baimsky Mining and Processing Plant (Baimsky GOK) was launched in the Chukotka Autonomous District. This is Russia's first mining and processing plant using unmanned technologies and the Internet of Things in copper ore mining. Dmitry Grigorenko, Deputy Prime Minister and Head of the Government Staff, and Yury Trutnev, Deputy Prime Minister and Presidential Plenipotentiary Envoy to the Far Eastern Federal District, familiarized themselves with the construction of the Baimsky GOK during a working trip to the industrial development facilities of the Far East.

The plant is being built on the territory of the Baim ore zone, which has not been developed for decades due to difficult climatic conditions, lack of infrastructure and technology. Financial support for the project is provided by the state corporation VEB.RF and a syndicate of commercial banks within the framework of the Project Finance Factory. Total investments will exceed RUB 1.1 trillion.

“The Baimsky GOK is a complex and extremely capital-intensive project. Its implementation is complicated by objective factors: complete lack of infrastructure, polar climate and significant remoteness from industrial centers. In this regard, the systemic participation of the state becomes a prerequisite for the project's realization. VEB.RF plays a key role in its financing. This is an example of how business and the state together solve strategic tasks and achieve results even where it seemed impossible before,” said Dmitry Grigorenko.

“Today a whole team from the Government of the Russian Federation gathered in Chukotka to see the Baimskoye deposit development project. Because the development of the deposit and construction of the Baimskoye mining and processing plant facilities is of special importance not only for Chukotka and the Far East, but also for the entire country. The launch of the enterprise will bring the region to a fundamentally new level of life. This project will actually transform Chukotka's economy, making it self-sufficient: Chukotka's gross regional product will be doubled, and the district's budget will become subsidy-free. Together with our colleagues from the Government, federal agencies and Chukotka, we will create all the conditions for Chukotka's economic potential to increase dramatically, budget revenues to increase, and all this to benefit the people,” said Yury Trutnev.

Advanced technologies are used in the construction of the Baimsky GOK. In particular, unmanned dump trucks and drilling machines will operate under the control of an intelligent system. The system analyzes the working space in real time and transmits data to the central control room, where special artificial intelligence algorithms optimize production processes and machinery routes. For the first time in the copper industry, direct flotation technology will be used, which allows for more efficient ore processing, reducing waste and resource consumption. This approach ensures high efficiency, operational safety and environmental friendliness.

Dmitry Grigorenko emphasized that the Baimsky project is not limited to the construction of a separate facility, but provides for the creation from scratch of all the necessary infrastructure for the mill's operation - from highways, port and power complex to the residential area.

Construction of key internal infrastructure facilities has been completed: a take-off and landing site, a fuel storage facility, a 110 kV power transmission line with a substation, on-site roads, the first stage of a shift camp for 1.2 thousand people, and a transportation center in Bilibin. Construction of external infrastructure facilities is ongoing: the Chaun port, as well as a road and power transmission lines over 400 kilometers to the deposit.

“Baimsky GOK is a unique project in terms of scale and effects. It is the largest project realized with the participation of VEB.RF and commercial banks within the framework of the Project Finance Factory. The mechanisms of state support, as well as the competencies of VEB.RF and partner banks, made it possible to increase the availability of credit resources, extend credit terms and distribute risks among the project participants,” said Igor Shuvalov, Chairman of VEB.RF.

Commercial operation of Baimsky GOK will start in 2029. The design capacity of the plant is about 70 million tons of copper ore per year.

The start of the development of the Baimsky ore zone was given by Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Eastern Economic Forum in 2018. In 2021, the Government approved a roadmap for the project's implementation, providing comprehensive support at the federal level.

The project is included in the Strategy for the Socio-Economic Development of the Far East and Baikal Region until 2025 and the Strategy for the Socio-Economic Development of the Chukotka Autonomous District until 2030.

“We have moved from the design stage to active construction. The volume of investments will exceed RUB 1.1 trillion, of which more than 260 billion have already been utilized. It is important for us that federal institutions and supporting authorities see the high pace of our work in the harsh conditions of the Far North. The support of VEB.RF, in particular, is not just funding, but trust in our strategy, professionalism of our team and long-term potential of the project,” emphasized Georgy Fotin, General Director of Baimskaya Management Company Ltd. Georgy Fotin.

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