Media Tour to PIMCU

A media tour to the facilities of the largest uranium mining enterprise of Russia — E.P. Slavsky PIMCU, PJSC (managed by ARMZ Uranium Holding Co./Rosatom Mining Division) took place last weekend. The finalists of the journalist competition Good News (for the first time arranged by ARMZ Uranium Holding Co.) went to Krasnokamensk city, Trans-Baikal Territory.

The journalists from the leading Russian mass media — Kommersant publishing house, ITASR-TASS and Nedra Dalnego Vostoka information agencies, STRBC Chita and STRBC Buryatia regional TV and radio companies, Mining Industry magazine, etc. participated in the events. The journalists visited the deepest 9th level of underground mine No. 8. At the depth of 700 meters, the competition participants saw how the miners extract uranium for the country. The slope minters demonstrated the drilling operations in the mine opening, the ore delivery and loading into the mine cars. The Mine Director Sergey Gurov told the journalists about the process and pointed out: «The drilling rates are high — up to 6 meters per day. We are currently totally in line with the production schedule».

The delegation visited uranium mine No. 6 being in process of construction. These new facilities are expected to be put into operation in 2026. The construction of the mine major infrastructure facilities, including the most sophisticated mine water treatment facility, is already completed. PIMCU Director General Ivan Kiselev welcomed the journalists at the site and pointed out: «This is a unique project having no analogues in the largest facilities of the world. We are currently working bugs out of equipment and intend to perform the physical start-up before the year ends».

Mass media became very interested in Urtuisky opencast brown coal mine, where PIMCU annually mines more than 3 mln. tones of solid fuel. More than 70 units of machinery — excavators, loaders, and heavy transporters — operate in the opencast mine at the same time. The preparation for the heating season goes at full speed: the traffic in the pit does not stop for a single minute. «Krasnokamensk TPP and the territorial housing and utility facilities account for the greatest part of supplies. We also export coal to the PRC. The sales markets correlation is fifty-fifty, however, this year, the sales policy is somewhat amended due to the import restrictions», PIMCU Deputy Director General Andrey Beketov told the journalists.

Tulukui pit depleted and abandoned by PIMCU, PJSC several decades ago became one of the brightest spots of the trip. The viewpoint offers a breathtaking view and, nowadays, it is one of the bellowed spots of the tourists, while, 50 years ago, the dump trucks were transporting the first uranium ore here.

Besides the busy production program, the journalists participated in the award ceremony on the results of Good News contest. The contest was carried out in 4 nominations; about 30 journalists representing 20 mass media applied for participation. ARMZ Uranium Holding Co. PR and Regional Authorities Interaction Department head Yuri Murashko pointed out that the contest should become a good tradition highlighting the transparency of the Company. The correspondents of STRBC Chita shared the first and second prizes and STRBC Buryatia took the third line among the TV companies. Kommersant publishing house is on the top of the rating of the printed mass media, Mining Industry magazine is on the second line, and Vitimskie Zori newspaper is on the third line. Interfax, ITAR-TASS, and Nedra Dalnego Vostoka, which took the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd lines respectively, are the leaders among the information agencies. The corporate printed mass media was presented by Strana-Rosatom newspaper (the 1st line) and the Atomvestnik magazine (the 2nd line), as well as the corporate newspapers of ARMZ Uranium Holding Co.: Vestnik ARMZ, Gornyak Priargynya, Vesti Dalura, and Vestnik Khiagdy.

Vladimir Lyashenko: «The participation in the media tour is one of the most important events in my life, even though I often come to Krasnokamensk due to my work. I have firsthand experience with PIMCU. Having gone down the uranium mine, the journalists got some understanding of the work of the miners. Their work is really hard and sometimes dangerous. The work changing our country for the better is always honored».

«We arrange the work so that the journalists writing about uranium mining could get the maximally complete understanding of our work. We are always glad to see the attention on the part of the mass media and we always have what to tell and to show to the journalists», — ARMZ Corporate Communication Department head Ivan Krupyanko concluded.