Norilsk Nickel intergrates transport infrastructure into international freight forwarding market

Moscow, July 12, 2010 – OJSC MMC Norilsk Nickel (hereinafter – MMC Norilsk Nickel or the Company) has initiated freight forwarding of export metal products following end-to-end logistic scheme. Metal products are loaded into large-tonnage containers (30.48 tonnes) of international maritime companies at the Company plants and are forwarded to customers without any additional repacking.

Previously, the Company used standard containers (24.00 tonnes) with repacking at Russian and international sea ports for export metal products freight forwarding.

The new scheme allows the Company to improve economic efficiency of ready metals transportation, provides better level of safety, makes it possible to integrate own transport infrastructure into international containerized freight forwarding market, decreases lead time, increases the Company stock turnover, and improves export planning.

The cooperation with international maritime companies such as COSCO, China Shipping, MSC is managed by Rotterdam logistics office of Norilsk Nickel Logistics B.V.

Forwarding of line containers from Murmansk to Rotterdam is done by own vessels of MMC Norilsk Nickel.

The first shipment freight of metal products with a total load of 797 tonnes from Monchegorsk to Shanghai (China) and Baltimore (USA) was forwarded following the new end-to-end transportation scheme late June this year.

Monthly volume of export metal products shipments from Monchegorsk under the end-to-end transport scheme is to comprise 2100 tonnes.

Pilot shipment under the end-to-end transport scheme is currently being prepared from Norilsk industrial region.

ABOUT MMC NORILSK NICKEL:

MMC Norilsk Nickel, a company incorporated under the laws of the Russian Federation, is the largest diversified mining and metals company in Russia, the world's largest producer of nickel and palladium and one of the world's largest producers of platinum, rhodium, copper and cobalt. In addition to this, MMC Norilsk Nickel produces a large number of other by-products, including gold, silver, tellurium, selenium, iridium and ruthenium.

The key production units of the Company’s group in Russia are at the Polar and Kola Peninsulas. MMC Norilsk Nickel international assets include operations in Finland, USA, Australia, Botswana and South Africa.

MMC Norilsk Nickel’s shares are traded at MICEX and RTS. ADR’s on the Company’s shares are traded on the other the counter market in the US and at the London and Berlin stock exchanges.