MOSCOW, March 30. /TASS/. The Norilsk Nickel Company (Nornickel) will allocate 170-180 million rubles ($2.9-3.1 million) for development of scientific-technical base of Russia’s four natural parks and for support of social, volunteer and educational ecological programs in 2018, the company’s Vice President Elena Bezdenezhnykh told TASS on Friday.

"For 2018, we have planned support of volunteer movements, international, social and educational programs, as well as the program to modernize the scientific base at natural parks "Relic Oaks" in Transbaikalia, "Pasvik" and "Laplandsky" in the Murmansk Region, and in "Taimyrskiy" in the Krasnoyarsk Region - to support studies there and to organize exchange of information between them," the vice president said. "For that, we shall allocate about 170-180 million rubles."

According to her, Nornickel plans investing in ecology projects about 250 billion rubles ($4.3 billion) to 2023.

"These measures will help in cutting emissions from our enterprises by 75% to 2023," she added.

About Nornickel

Norilsk Nickel is a diversified mining and metallurgical company, the world’s largest producer of refined nickel and palladium and a leading producer of platinum, cobalt, copper and rhodium. The company also produces gold, silver, iridium, selenium, ruthenium and tellurium.

The production units of Norilsk Nickel Group include the Polar Division, located at the Norilsk Industrial District on the Taimyr Peninsula, and Kola Mining and Metallurgical Company located on the Kola Peninsula in Russia as well as Harjavalta nickel refinery in Finland.