OREANDA-NEWS. July 21, 2014. The last direct current unit was commissioned at PP-70 transformer substation of Kola MMC’s (subsidiary of MMC Norilsk Nickel) nickel electrolysis shop (NES).

Its commissioning marked readiness of the Company’s energy facilities to increase electrolytic nickel production to 120 th. tons per annum.

Production of metal cathodes is an energy-intensive process and production volumes couldn’t be increased without corresponding energy facility enhancements. To resolve this issue, five new direct current units were installed at PP-70 transformer substation of nickel electrolysis shop in stages. In terms of their technical characteristics, such new units are noticeably superior to the five units which were supporting NES’ operations since 1982 and are now worn-out and obsolete.

New units are modern thyristor rectifiers operating at 35kA and 520V. They use 24-pulse rectifier scheme, which guarantees low fluctuation of rectified current and complies with the state standard requirements for supply mains electric power quality. Microprocessor schemes controlling rectifier’s operations ensure that output parameters are consistent and the unit operates efficiently. The cost of each unit is approximately RUB 80 mln.

NES’s power generation capacity increase (after all five units are commissioned) is also an important precondition for execution of a major project included into MMC Norilsk Nickel’s development strategy – nickel electrowinning form chlorine solution for dissolving nickel powder from tube furnaces.