In Siberia, a copper mine hopes to become a global energy pivot
In 1949, a Soviet expedition in Siberia was looking for uranium to supply the national nuclear arsenal when it stumbled on a vast deposit of copper.
More than 70 years later, a mining complex in Russia's Far East between Lake Baikal and the Pacific Ocean is finally due to launch operations next year.
With copper key to the world's energy transition away from carbon, the hope is it will be a boon for Russia and beyond.
"The long-awaited project is a long-awaited event in the life of the Far East and the entire mining industry of Russia and the world," said Valery Kazikayev, chairman of Udokan Copper, the company developing the site.
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The mine is located both in a seismic zone and on permafrost -- ground that remains completely frozen all-year round. Temperatures can drop to minus 60 degrees Celsius (minus 76 degrees Fahrenheit) in the winter.
These conditions mean developing the site is "difficult", Kazikayev said, noting as a result that "construction is very expensive."
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Holding more than 26 million tonnes of copper, the mine, some 6,500 kilometres (4,000 miles) east of Moscow, claims to be the largest untapped deposit in Russia and the third largest in the world.
https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20211003-in-siberia-a-copper-mine-hopes-to-become-a-global-energy-pivot
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