Rostec resumes mining operations for beryllium production

Moscow —A separate division of JSC "Kaliningrad Amber Combine" located in the settlement of Malyshevo, Sverdlov Region (part of Rostec State Corporation) and JSC VNIIHT (part of Rosatom's Research Division) signed a cooperation agreement on the introduction of technological solutions for the production of beryllium concentrates at the Malyshevskoye field.

The enterprises agreed to conduct geophysical survey of the ore body of the field, prepare feasibility study for producing beryllium, as well as to improve and introduce technologies for enrichment of the ore at the field.

A separate division located in the settlement of Malyshevo (part of Rostec) is the only enterprise in Russia whose business is commercial production of emeralds and beryls. Emerald and beryllium oxide are the main valuable components at the field. At present, there are 250 thousand tons of amenable ore stored at the enterprise.

"Technologies developed in the Soviet era are outdated, new ones are needed. That is why the introduction of new technological solutions for the production of beryllium concentrates is a serious step in the development of science-intensive domestic technologies, "said Yevgeny Wasilevsky, the director of a separate division of JSC "Kaliningrad Amber Combine" located in the settlement of Malyshevo. At the present time we are engaged in the extraction of only crystal-bearing ores and emerald raw materials (emerald, beryl, phenacite, alexandrite, etc.). Technologies JSC VNIIHT will allow organizing additional production at the chamber - beryllium concentrates for further processing ".

Beryllium is a metal used in the defense industry, nuclear power and space industry. For instance, it is extremely important for producing tank armor, while nuclear power plants use it as a neutron moderator. The metal is irreplaceable when building spaceships, as it is stronger than structural steel, three times lighter than aluminum and is resistant to drastic temperature changes.

Rostec Corporation is a Russian corporation that was established in 2007 to facilitate the development, production and export of high-tech industrial products designed for civilian and military applications. The Corporation comprises over 700 organizations that are currently part of eleven holding companies operating in the military-industrial complex and three holding companies working in civilian industry, as well as 80 directly managed organizations. Rostec's portfolio includes well-known brands such as AVTOVAZ, KAMAZ, Kalashnikov Concern, Russian Helicopters, VSMPO AVISMA, UralVagonZavod, etc. Rostec companies are located in 60 constituent entities of the Russian Federation and supply products to more than 70 countries. In 2016, the consolidated revenue of Rostec reached 1.266 trillion rubles, while the consolidated net income and Ebitda amounted to 88 billion and 268 billion rubles respectively. In 2016, the average salary in the Corporation was 44,000 rubles. According to Rostec's strategy, the main objective of the Corporation is to ensure that Russia has a technological advantage in highly competitive global markets. Rostec's key objectives include the introduction of a new techno-economic paradigm and the digitalization of the Russian economy.??