Nornickel kicks off consultations with indigenous communities on expected lithium mining p...

NornickelPublic Joint Stock Company "Mining and Metallurgical Company "Norilsk Nickel" and its subsidiariesGo to the glossaryheld initial consultations with the indigenous communities in the villages of Lovozero and Krasnoshchelye in Russia's northwest region of Murmansk in view of the looming start of the Kolmozerskoye lithium mining project.

The meeting gathered the representatives of Saami, Nenets, and Komi people, as well as government officials, Russia's nuclear corporation Rosatom and independent experts on indigenous peoples' rights.

The main purpose of the meeting was to set up a two-way dialogue between the company and indigenous peoples, to inform local communities about the forthcoming project, and to listen and record suggestions and comments from the communities.

In April 2022, Nornickel and Rosatom signed an agreement of intent to implement joint projects spanning the development of the Kolmozerskoye lithium deposit in the Murmansk region and further processing of lithium raw materials. Kolmozerskoye is the largest and most promising untapped lithium ore deposit in Russia.

During the consultations, Nornickel's representatives told the audience about the company's principles of engagement with indigenous people and about the Kolmozerskoye project. Geological study of the Kolmozerskoye deposit was carried out in the 1950s, and most of the data needs to be verified.

"Today there is a unique opportunity at the initial stage of project development to take into account the traditional use of natural resources and fisheries. It is important for the company to consider and minimise all possible negative impacts for the indigenous peoples of the region. Nornickel has extensive experience in supporting reindeer herding in the Taimyr Peninsula, and this knowledge and competence will be applicable in the Murmansk Region," said Andrey Grachev, Nornickel Vice President for Federal and Regional Programmes.

The parties also discussed basic approaches to ethnographic and sociological research. The company confirmed its intention to collect and verify all possible information on the subjects, nature and scale of traditional trades, sacred sites and burials, as well as identify potentially affected people, and make detailed maps of the area. The research will be carried out with the involvement of leading scientific institutions and in cooperation with indigenous peoples.

"It is commendable that Nornickel is acting in accordance with international due diligence standards and is willing to share information about the project with the region's indigenous peoples at such an early stage of preparation. Such an approach will protect the rights and prioritise the interests of indigenous peoples in the region. There is likely to be a lot of work to discuss the project and reach agreement with the Saami, Nenets and Komi reindeer herders, who could potentially be affected by the project", said Alexey Tsykarev, Deputy Chairman of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues.