One of the largest construction projects in Russia in the post-Soviet period is Tominsky GOK. What will this bring to the South Urals and the economy of the whole country? Today there is heated debate and passion raging around the industrial facility between the owner company and activists.
Field
The Tominsk deposit of copper-porphyry ores is located in the Chelyabinsk region. According to experts, it is one of the top largest deposits of the Russian Federation and is one of the fifty global copper ore giants. The ore, in addition to copper, also includes other valuable metals - gold and silver. There are many non-ferrous metals deposits in the Urals and almost all of them are large-scale, the main problem is that the amount of metal per ton of ore in most cases is low. At the Tominsky mine, the copper grade in the ore is the lowest in Russia.
The operational reserves of the valuable metal are approximately 365 million tons. The copper ore deposit was discovered by prospecting parties in 1985. Volume estimates and distribution ranges were estimated from 1997 to 2005. To date, intelligence activities aimed at industrial development are underway.
The copper ore deposit consists of three types of ores - oxidized, primary sulphide and secondary enriched. The occurrence of minerals is superficial, therefore, their development will be conducted in a career way.
Power deposits:
- Oxidized ores are estimated at 40-60 meters and are represented by clay or gravel-clay mass. The composition of the ore includes lapis lazuli and malachite in the form of thin smears and inclusions.
- Secondarily enriched ore layers are 12-15 meters.
- Primary sulfide ore deposits are located at a depth of up to 55 meters; pyrites and chalcopyrites are included in the composition.
Planned indicators
The industrial potential of the Tominsky deposit, according to experts, is about 1,293,127 tons of copper. The chemical composition of the ore mined includes barium, arsenic, copper, silicon, lithium, gold, zinc and other elements. In addition to the Tominsky deposit, the Kalinovsky site will be developed, located at a distance of 4.7 kilometers from the main quarry, which contains more than 230 tons of copper.
Operation of the Tominsky field is planned for 18 years of intensive development, taking into account the damping period. Kalinovsky site will be developed over 10 years. In the future, joint processing of two objects in the period from 2025 to 2031. At the Tominsky quarry, it is planned to mine 75% of the ore, the remaining resources will come from the Kalinovsky mine.
Tominsk Combine
So, Tominsky GOK. What is this complex and what parts will the enterprise consist of? The mining and processing plant of the Tominsky deposit is one of the largest industrial facilities of the Russian Federation, which will be built after the collapse of the USSR. Construction is implemented by the Russian Copper Company . The project involves the use of advanced technologies at every stage of production processes. Increased attention is paid to environmental issues, which have become a stumbling block in the Chelyabinsk region between the company and public organizations.
The plant consists of three main industrial facilities:
- Two open pit mines at the Tominsky deposit and Kalinovsky site. The development depth is up to 540 meters, the total area is about 4 thousand hectares.
- A copper concentrate and copper production complex, consisting of an enrichment plant (production capacity - 14 million tons of products) with a tailing facility and a closed water supply system, a hydrometallurgical plant (annual capacity - about 1.7 million tons).
- Infrastructure and production complex (engineering, sanitary and other facilities).
Where is Tominsky GOK located
The construction of the facility is in close proximity to the city of Chelyabinsk. Shershnevskoe reservoir, which is the main source of water supply for the city and the region, is located 10 kilometers from the mining and processing enterprise. Several settlements are located near the field; some of the residents will be relocated to new places of residence. The total area required for development is up to 4 thousand hectares.
To ensure full operation, infrastructure facilities will be built:
- A branch of the road from the Chelyabinsk highway bypass.
- The branch of the railway connection from the village of Pervomaisky (from the station "Strawberry").
- To supply electricity, power lines will be stretched and substations with a capacity of 142 MVA built.
- Water intake, supply and purification systems for industrial, domestic, and drinking needs (the treated effluents of the village of Novosineglazovo, the city of Korkino will be used, and drainage water from mines and the Korkinsky coal mine will also be taken).
- Lead of a gas pipeline from the hydraulic fracturing of Chelyabinskgazcom OJSC.
- Telephony and fiber lines for communications.
- Warehouses, storage and preparation facilities for explosives, etc.
Project innovation
An object of federal significance and an enterprise with the latest technology is Tominsky GOK. What does this suggest? First of all, the implementation of innovative technologies and methods will be implemented:
- A special way to prepare the mixture from different types of copper ore.
- The use of the latest generation of reagents to increase the concentration of copper and molybdenum in the finished product.
- Installation and operation of high-performance equipment of the latest model for the processing of fossil ores.
- Two lines of the hydrometallurgical method for the extraction of copper from oxidized and loose ore, which as a result will allow processing up to 28 million tons of raw materials with a predicted production of about 264 thousand tons of copper concentrate.
The first phase of the complex is planned to be commissioned in the fall of 2017, but, according to the latest data, the start may be postponed for a year. The second phase is scheduled for delivery in 2019. The total investment in the project is 60 billion rubles.
Prospects for the region
The Tominsky Mining and Processing Combine is one of the country's large-scale investment projects and is included in the strategic plan for the development of non-ferrous metallurgy, covering the period until 2030. For the South Urals, the project is of great importance, because it promises an increase in the pace of infrastructure development, job creation and the construction of new enterprises.
After the launch of all capacities, Tominsky GOK in Chelyabinsk will replenish the region’s treasury with taxes worth about 120 billion rubles for the entire period of its operation. The enterprise itself guarantees the creation of 1,200 jobs for the population of the region. In employment, preference will be given to residents of nearby Korkinsky and Sosnovsky districts. The fixed average wage level is estimated at 40 thousand rubles, which exceeds the average level of salaries in the region.
For many industries and the economy as a whole, Tominsky GOK will be able to become a catalyst. The construction of such a large-scale facility covers orders of many enterprises - construction organizations, pipe-rolling and machine-tool plants, companies involved in the construction of infrastructure facilities, etc. Specialists estimated that one job for a GOK specialist would require the creation of up to seven jobs in the sector serving the enterprise.
Like all modern centers of non-ferrous metallurgy, Tominsky Combine pays great attention to environmental protection, the preservation of natural wealth and concern for the social sphere of the surrounding residential areas. To date, investments have been made and the construction of several social facilities has begun on the territory of the Sosnovsky and Korkinsky districts. The long-term plans are the reconstruction of sanatorium-resort institutions, providing support to hospitals, schools, sports clubs and societies. Several million rubles have already been spent on the social sphere.
Social movement
In the Urals, there are already centers of non-ferrous metallurgy that have gained bad fame. One of them is the notorious Karabashmed plant, in the vicinity of which there is practically nothing left alive, and the maximum age of the population is no more than 48 years. Activists opposed to the construction of the GOK created the StopGOK movement, which plans include canceling the construction of the facility.
The main arguments against the construction of the GOK put forward by the leaders of the movement are as follows:
- Pollution of the Shershnevsky reservoir and even the possible withdrawal of water from it as a result of deepening the quarry.
- Opponents argue that the tailing dump, which is a huge reservoir of liquid toxic waste products, will inevitably pollute groundwater, which will lead to an environmental disaster throughout the region.
- There are fears that exhaust air emissions will cause toxic precipitation, there will be practically nothing to breathe. In the framework of the struggle for clean air, an action called "Breathe" was held in Chelyabinsk, the participants of which used gas masks.
It is noteworthy that the backbone of the protest movement is made up of people who have no relation to ecology and do not have knowledge in this area. Some of them live outside of Russia and are agents of influence from other states. Some residents of Chelyabinsk believe that the situation around the plant is artificially heated, and the construction itself and the fears of residents are used as a bargaining chip in political games.
Power actions
To dispel all public concerns, Governor B. Dubrovsky initiated an independent examination and audit of the TGOK's documentation regarding environmental safety. The assessment was given by specialists of the Yekaterinburg Mining and Geological University, in which they indicated that, taking into account several of their recommendations, the plant and production as a whole do not pose any danger.
The resulting expert opinion did not satisfy the activists, then it was decided to contact the industrial center of the mining industry - St. Petersburg University of Mining. Of course, many enterprises of the Chelyabinsk region, built during the first and second waves of industrialization in the Soviet Union, do not withstand any criticism. During the construction of these industrial facilities, no one thought about ecology; the situation is different with modern plants and centers.
St. Petersburg scientists have confirmed the findings of their colleagues from Yekaterinburg University. Activists still do not listen to the opinion of experts. Experts agreed and stated that the Tominsky GOK project does not pose a serious danger, that this construction would entail an improvement in the economic situation without harming the environment.
The concerns of people falling into the sphere of influence of the mining and processing enterprise can be understood, but it is necessary to solve the problem. On one side of the scale is industrialization using all the advanced technologies for environmental protection, raising the standard of living, and the possibility of development for the whole country. On the other - the health of future generations, pristine nature. So far no one has a common answer to the question, it remains to hope for a sound approach to resolving the issue from all parties to the conflict.