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A general agreement on cooperation in the area of hydrogen energy and fuel cells was signed by the Russian Academy of Science and MMC Norilsk Nickel on November 10, 2003. This is the first major agreement between the Academy of Science and one of Russia's leading industrial corporations.
The agreement was signed by Yuri Osipov, the President of the Academy of Science, and Mikhail Prokhorov, the General Director and Chairman of the Management Board of MMC Norilsk Nickel.
The main objective of the cooperation between the two bodies is the planning, financing and implementation of top-priority high-tech projects and the production of competitively priced equipment and materials in the field of hydrogen energy and fuel cells that would substitute the imported products.
The main areas of activity foreseen by the general agreement are the following:
- the creation of highly efficient and environmentally friendly electric power installations and electro-chemical generators based on fuel cells;
- the development of key infrastructure elements for hydrogen energy production;
- the development of high-tech products and perspective technological processes utilising palladium and platinum group metals.
Under the agreement academic institutions and industrial enterprises will set up joint ventures in order to produce fuel cells with competitive characteristics utilising palladium and platinum group metals produced by Norilsk Nickel. | 
