SILVER
Vladimir Konnikov, Power Plant Electrical Engineer, Kupol
Vladimir joined the Kupol team in 2007 prior to its opening and was one of the employees that worked tirelessly to ensure a smooth start at the mill.
Over the last nine years, Vladimir has contributed cost-effective solutions to various technical challenges that Kupol has faced.
“He offers technical solutions that make maintenance easier and less time-consuming while saving the Company’s money,” said Alexander Zaporozhets, Deputy Site Services Superintendant, Kupol.
Vladimir has helped Kupol achieve hundreds of thousands of dollars in cost savings. For example, he designed custom toolkits for the site to reduce the need for outside maintenance support at the power plant and helped create an automatic control for the pumps that supply heating to the camp facilities, saving the site $500,000 per year.
Notably, Vladimir has enhanced the site’s power plant facilities by creating a new system to automatically turn on pumps prior to the engine being turned on, and automatically switches them off 20 minutes after the engine shuts down. This small but significant change has led to an annual savings of over $100,000 in energy costs.
“He won for Rigorous Financial Discipline, but he could have won for any of the other three categories. He’s conscientious and a hard worker, and always treats staff with respect,” said Wayne Barrack, Site Services Superintendent, Kupol.
