The construction of the Second Nickel Factory started virtually without a project. There was no time to wait in the Arctic with its harsh conditions. Combining design and construction in Norilsk was normal. During the construction of the Nadezhda Metallurgical Factory, the builders removed 9 750 000 cubic meters of soft soils, 1 850 000 cubic meters of rocky soils, assembled 365 000 tons of metal structures and 150 000 tons of technological equipment. In the midst of construction, 600 trucks, 150 excavators, bulldozers and motor graders and 150 cranes worked at Nadezhda.
On June 28, 1979, the Nadezdenskiy Metallurgical Factory produced its first product – sulphide concentrate. On October 10, the state commission signed the act on acceptance into operation of the first stage of NMF – hydrometallurgical production. This day is considered the birthday of the plant.
On January 4, 1977, the USSR Council of Ministers approved the technical design of the second stage – pyrometallurgical production. And 4.5 years later – on July 9, 1981 – the second stage of the Nadezhdinsky factory – pyrometallurgy – was put into operation, which meant its full launch.
NMF was capable of producing every tenth ton of nickel in the world. After the launch of Nadezhda, Norilsk Combine’s production of non-ferrous metals increased fivefold.
On March 12, 2003, at the conference of Polar Division’s labor collective, it was proposed to give the NMF the name of the Nadezhdinsky Factory after Boris Kolesnikov, director of the Norilsk combine.
Text: Svetlana Samokhina, Photo: Nornickel Polar Division archive
