Russia’s northern territories are a most picturesque and generous land which deservedly symbolizes the whole country. To conquer this land, it took a world of strength, will, vision, and acts of bravery — all of which have been a true trademark of the people of Russia.
During the Soviet era, the necessity to build industrial economy from scratch, perform technological breakthorughs within severe time and resourse limits, justified a colonial attitude to the northern territories.
Nowadays, with the advent of new technologies, and accumulating the global experience in these aspects, it has become possible to more thoroughly and effectively manage the business. It is time to pay back all the good to the North — and to transform it from a colony into a prosperous land of sustainable development.
Andrei D. Trenin
CEO & Chariman, Arcmineral Service Mining Company
Arcmineral Service Mining Company is the operator of the project aiming at producing titanium dioxide, rare and rare earth metals and thorium concentrate from the perovskite concentrate of the Afrikanda deposit field (the Kola Peninsula).
The Afrikanda project is the first production of highly demanded new materials — titanium dioxide and rare earths — in contemporary Russia.
The project is based on the innovative technology developed by the Kola Science Center of the Russian Academy Of Sciences. The project implies creation of a mining and concentration complex and more than 200 new jobs. Thus, the success of the Afrikanda project will contribute to the sustainable development of the Murmansk region.
The project underwent a professional expertise during the Polar Quad — 2012 industrial projects Contest, proved its viability and became the winner of the Contest. The project, estimated roughly at 8 bn RUR (250 mln USD), received a recommendation for realization with the support of the «Bank For Development And Foreign Economic Affairs (VneshEconomBank)» State Corporation.
To the date, 2 Agreements on exclusivity and cooperation have been signed — between Arcmineral and the Kola Science Center, and between Arcmineral and the Mining Institute of the Kola Science Center.
In November, 2012, the technology tests began to receive the ultimate materials.
The Polar Quad is a professional industrial projects Contest organized and promoted by the Arcmineral Service Mining Company since 2011 in the northern regions of Russia. Every year, the subject theme of the Contest is being changed, and new regions to implement the industrial projects are incorporated. The Contest’s General Partner is the «Bank For Development And Foreign Economic Affairs (VneshEconomBank)» State Corporation.
The Contest is based on 4 principles, which are at the same time the criteria for the selection of projects: 1) business effectiveness, 2) innovativeness, 3)
In 2013, the Contest is dedicated to the problems of creation and implementation of the energy effective technologies and new energy sources in Murmansk, Archangel regions, and the Republic of Karelia, Russia.
The Winning Project will receive a recommendation for realization with the support of the General Partner of the Contest — the «Bank For Development And Foreign Economic Affairs (VneshEconomBank)» State Corporation.
In 2012, the Contest was dedicated to the problems of developing the socially important