Non-ferrous metallurgy in Russia. Geography of non-ferrous metallurgy

The main tasks of non-ferrous metallurgy enterprises are the extraction and enrichment of metals, as well as their redistribution, the production of rolled products and alloys. In the Russian economy, this industry plays a very significant role. By the number of deposits of non-ferrous metals, our country occupies one of the first places in the world.

Main Sub-sectors

All non-ferrous metals can be conditionally divided into two groups: heavy (lead, copper, zinc, tin, etc.) and light (aluminum, magnesium, titanium). Accordingly, enterprises of this industry are divided into two large groups. Also the non-ferrous metallurgy of the country is divided into:

• Copper;
• Lead-zinc;
• Tin;
• Nickel-cobalt;
• Aluminum;
• Tungsten-molybdenum;
• Gold mining;
• Silver-mining;
• Platinum mining;
• Titanium-magnesium.

They enter the structure of such an industry as non-ferrous metallurgy in Russia, as well as diamond mining enterprises.

Conditions that determine geography

Accommodation of non-ferrous metallurgy enterprises depends on a huge number of very different natural and economic factors. However, the most significant are:

• Raw material. Most of all, where exactly the colored ores lie, the enterprises of the heavy group depend. From the efficiency of geological exploration , ferrous and nonferrous metallurgy in Russia, as in other countries, is directly dependent.
• Fuel and energy. This factor has a huge impact on the location of plants specializing in the extraction and processing of both light and heavy metals.

Copper industry

The non-ferrous metallurgy enterprises of this group in our country are located mainly in the Urals. Especially in the territory of this region are allocated Krivoy Rog, Krasnouralsky, Mednogorsk and Sredneuralsk combines. They are engaged in the mining of copper in the city of Revda, Sverdlovsk region, in Gaia, Orenburg region, in Baymak and Shiba (Bashkiria).

Large enterprises for the extraction and processing of copper are also available in Siberia (the cities of Norilsk and Monchegorsk).

Nickel-cobalt industry

The location of the enterprises of this group is very much dependent on the sources of raw materials. The non-ferrous metallurgy of Russia in this sub-sector is mainly represented by metallurgical plants in such regions as:

• The Kola Peninsula. Here, mainly sulphide copper-nickel ores are mined and processed.
• Lower reaches of the Yenisei. The largest plant for the processing of sulphide ores is located in Norilsk. They produce platinum, cobalt, nickel, as well as copper and some rare metals.
• The Urals. The enterprises of this region specialize mainly in the processing of oxidized ores. They are located in such cities as Orsk, Upper Ufaley, Rezh.

Lead-zinc industry

The enterprises of this group are located in:

• North Ossetia (Sadonskoye field);
• Kemerovo region (Salair);
• Chita region (Nerchinsk deposits);
• Primorsky Territory (Dalnegorsky).

Tin-mining industry

The non-ferrous metallurgy of Russia is focused on this sub-sector mainly on the regions that consume ready-made products. Some enterprises are also located in the way of transportation of concentrated raw materials. This geography of this industry is conditioned by the fact that tin is dispersed mainly over small deposits. Therefore, in this case, the construction of large plants next to them is not expedient. In addition, the raw materials of the tin-mining industry are highly transportable.

Basically, the resources of this non-ferrous metal are concentrated in the Far East and Eastern Siberia. The largest enterprises of these regions are the Solar, Sherlovsky, Khrustaln, and Ese-Khaysky plants.

Aluminum industry

The main features of this sub-sector can be attributed to the use of only very high-quality raw materials by enterprises. Boksidy are mined mainly:

• In the North-West (Boksitogorsk);
• In the Urals (Severogorsk, Krasnoujustinsk, Kamensk-Uralsky).

Large deposits of such raw materials as nephelines are found mainly on the Kola Peninsula (Kirovsk) and in Eastern Siberia (Goryachegorsk, Achinsk).

Most of the centers for the production of this light metal from sources of raw materials are pretty much removed. Aluminum metallurgy in Russia, as very energy-intensive, is represented mainly by enterprises located near the sources of inexpensive energy - hydroelectric power stations (in Volkhov, Kandalaksha, Volgograd, Bratsk, Krasnoyarsk, Shelekhov, etc.).

Titanium-magnesium industry

The most significant principle of location of the enterprises of this group is also the proximity to cheap energy sources. If the magnesium processing plants can still be located near the deposits of raw materials, titanium plants are almost always built next to the hydroelectric power station. Mostly the centers of non-ferrous metallurgy in Russia in this sub-sector are concentrated in the Urals. Plants for processing alloys are usually located in the areas of consumption of finished products.

Gold mining industry

This is one of the most significant groups of enterprises of such an industry as the non-ferrous metallurgy of Russia. In terms of gold mining, our country ranks 5-6th in the world. According to the proven reserves, the second. In tsarist Russia, this noble metal was mined and processed mainly in the immediate vicinity of loose deposits. At the moment most of them are already depleted. Therefore, the main emphasis now is on the development of indigenous deposits.

Gold deposits mainly in Siberia, the Far East and the Urals. The main share of its extraction falls on the mines:

• Udereysky. This mine is located in the Krasnodar Territory.
• Solov'evsky. It is the oldest and largest munition of the Amur region specializing in the extraction of loose gold.
• Nevyanovsky. Also a very old mine discovered in 1813.
• Gradskaya. At this mine, the first diamond in the history of Russia was discovered.
• Ksenievsky.
• Condor. This is a relatively new mine discovered in the 1960s. They extract not only gold, but platinum.
• Dambuki. This is not one, but two whole mines: new and old.
• Altaic. It is being developed for more than 50 years, but there is still enough gold.

The leader of the gold mining industry today is OJSC Polyus Gold, which is developing in the Irkutsk, Magadan, Amur regions, and also in the Krasnodar Territory.

Extraction of diamonds

The structure of such an industry as non-ferrous metallurgy in Russia includes, among others, enterprises specializing in the extraction of this precious mineral. Its main domestic reserves in our country are in Yakutia. The largest enterprises of this region are the Jubilee and Successful, which account for 75% of all diamonds mined in Russia. There are also kimberlite pipes in:

• Arkhangelsk Region;
• Irkutsk region;
• Krasnoyarsk Territory.

The Leningrad region and Karelia are potentially diamondiferous.

The most productive are the Russian non-ferrous metallurgy enterprises of this group, which are engaged in the development of diamonds in indigenous deposits. The scattered production is carried out mainly by small enterprises.

Silver mining industry

The geography of non-ferrous metallurgy in this sub-sector is very, very wide. Developments of silver deposits are conducted in our country in more than 20 regions. By mining this noble metal, our country ranks first in the world. Leading is the Dukat deposit of the Magadan region.

Extraction of platinum

Most of all this metal in Russia is mined in the Urals. A lot of platinum is also found in the Baikal region, on the Taimyr Peninsula and the Kola Peninsula. Promising in this regard are Karelia and the Voronezh Region.

Despite rather serious economic conditions, the ferrous and nonferrous metallurgy of Russia is a developing and promising industry. In any case, the enterprises of this group are mostly profitable. A lot of attention is paid to metallurgical companies from the state.