Acron expects first ore from Partomchorr in 2029, estimates phase 1 of project at 40 bln rubles

KIROVSK. Aug 7 (Interfax) - Acron Group plans to begin mining apatite-nepheline ore at the Partomchorr deposit in the Murmansk region in 2029, the CEO of North-Western Phosphorous Company (NWPC, part of Acron Group) Yevgeny Sozinov told reporters.

"First ore production is scheduled for 2029. At the initial stage, we plan to mine the ore via open-pit methods. The quarry, according to project documentation, will yield about 150 million tonnes of ore," he said.

Investment in developing this deposit until reaching design capacity will amount to approximately 40 billion rubles (excluding the underground part), Sozinov said. Construction of the underground mine will begin in 2034-2035.

Ore from Partomchorr will be processed at the Oleniy Ruchey Mining and Processing Plant, the capacity of which will be increased to 1.9 million to 2 million tonnes of apatite concentrate per year. The launch of Partomchorr will thus add 400,000-500,000 tonnes of apatite concentrate annually, Sozinov said.

A railway approximately 40 km long will be built to deliver ore to the plant. The railway is expected to be launched in the early 2030s, with an estimated cost of 5-6 billion rubles.

The Partomchorr and Oleniy Ruchey apatite-nepheline deposits are located in the Khibiny mountain range on the Kola Peninsula.

Initially, Acron planned to build a full-cycle mining and processing complex at Partomchorr, but abandoned the idea of constructing a plant due to the proximity of the Simbozero nature reserve.