NLMK Reports Environmental Achievements at Lipetsk Site
02/06/2012 - NLMK’s main production site in Lipetsk allocated approximately RUR 4 billion on environmental protection projects in 2011. Around 100 environmental projects aimed at revamping and upgrading process equipment and operations have thus far been completed.
NLMK’s main production site in Lipetsk allocated approximately RUR 4 billion on environmental protection projects in 2011. The company notes that around 100 environmental projects aimed at revamping and upgrading process equipment and operations have thus far been completed.
Despite reporting a 5% increase in steel output due to the commissioning of new facilities (including the blast furnace #7 named "Rossiyanka" and a new BOF), Lipetsk main site’s atmospheric emissions were reduced by 500 tonnes and are now at a level of 277,000 tonnes, according to NLMK. Fresh river water intake was reduced from 21.8 to 21.4 million m3/year. Taking into account steel output growth, specific water consumption decreased by 4% to 2.2 m3/tonne. No industrial waste water was discharged into the local Voronezh River, the company noted, and the volume of recycled, sold, and utilized production wastes almost matched that of waste generation in 2011.
Environmental impact was reduced due to a series of projects including the upgrade of equipment in the iron-making production line and the dedusting system in the refractory shop. The reheating furnace in the hot flats shop was reconstructed, while the secondary dedusting system in BOF Shop No.1 was fully refurbished.
The Lipetsk main site’s environmental services monitor and control 126 substances and compounds emitted into the atmosphere. Emission sources are controlled by instrument measurements, using automatic control equipment, a mobile laboratory, and video surveillance systems. In line with the current legislation of the Russian Federation, the company prepared reports on total emissions from the facility’s sources. After agreement with Rosprirodnadzor of Lipetsk Region, these reports were submitted to national statistics authorities, and copies were also sent to environmental agencies with the administrations of Lipetsk and the Lipetsk Region, and presented on the company’s website: http://www.lipetsk.nlmk.ru/social/environment/.
Pursuant to the environmental transparency policy, the plant arranged meetings with the city’s public authorities and organized visits by public representatives to the plant facilities. The company says it will continue these activities in 2012.
In 2011, Novolipetsk, the core asset of NLMK, was again among the winners of the competition “100 Best Russian Organizations: Ecology and Environmental Management.” The company was also among the winners of a nationwide competition "Best Russian Enterprises: Dynamics, Efficiency, Responsibility” in the nomination for “Environmentally Responsible Business,” organized by the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs. Last year Novolipetsk once again passed successfully a recertification audit by TüV Rheinland Cert GmbH (Germany), which granted to the company an extension of the validity of the universally recognized environmental standard for the next three years.
