Norilsk suspends Arctic shipments for seasonal halt
Russian metals giant Norilsk Nickel suspended shipments from its Arctic port of Dudinka a few days ago as flooding prompted a seasonal halt, Reuters reports.
The port of Dudinka, its main export outlet, suspended shipments from May 19, Norilsk's press office told Reuters on Thursday, adding that it usually takes one month to resume operations.
Every year, Norilsk stops loading nickel, copper and cobalt for export when the ice cover breaks and causes flooding at the mouth of the Yenisei River, where Dudinka is located.
The closure disrupts the supply of concentrate to Norilsk's refineries on the Kola peninsula, while the company continues to fulfil its obligations to clients.
Norilsk is the world's largest nickel miner and the biggest copper producer in Russia. About 4.5 million tonnes of goods, mostly metals from Norilsk, pass through Dudinka every year.