Verkhnekamsk Potash Company (VPC, a member of Acron Group) has launched underground mining operations at the Verkhnekamsk potassium-magnesium salt deposit in Perm Krai.

As part of the preparations, VPC has installed the main shaft hoisting equipment, put two Ural-20R heading-and-winning machines in operation and started tunnelling at the Talitsky mine. To date, a 320 linear metre connection between Shaft 1 and Shaft 2 has been completed and approximately 10,600 tonnes of rock have been extracted.

The day before, Vladimir Kunitsky, CEO of Acron Group, and Alexey Makarov, Vice President for Capital Construction, Production Development and Equipment Upgrades, visited the Talitsky mine’s shaft to inspect the work progress, the operation of the new heading-and-winning complex and the ore extraction, loading and transportation procedures.

In 2008, VPC obtained a licence to develop the Talitsky area of Verkhnekamsk potassium-magnesium salt deposit in Perm Krai. The mine’s design capacity is 2 million tonnes of KCl per annum with further expansion to 2.6 million tonnes.

The start of underground mining is a milestone in the implementation of Acron Group’s strategic project to create its own potash raw material base and ensure the long-term development and stable operation of the Group’s companies, producing complex fertilisers.