Russian Steelmakers Invest More than US$200 Million in Environmental Initiatives
04/13/2017 - Russia’s NLMK Group increased spending on environmental projects and controls by 12% in 2016, the steelmaker reported.
According to NLMK, spending rose to nearly RUB7.1 billion (about US$126.3 million), most of which was put toward projects and initiatives to improve air quality. The amount also includes operating and repair costs.
The company said that among its projects are upgrades to gas cleaning systems at the refractory shop and sintering plant at its Lipetsk facility and a new de-dusting system for its No. 4 blast furnace. Elsewhere, the company undertook projects to reclaim old landfills, build new sewage treatment plants and reduce noise pollution.
"We adopt new technologies and solutions in an effort to reduce our environmental footprint. Major investment in hundreds of environmental projects and initiatives over the past five years, totaling close to RUB26 billion, has delivered a significant boost to the company’s environmental performance,” said NLMK Group environmental director Galina Khristoforova in a statement.
“The company has ramped up its steel output by almost 50% during this period, while specific emissions have been reduced by 25%,” Khristoforova said.
Separately, OJSC Magnitogorsk Iron & Steel Works Group (MMK) said it intends to complete about 87 environmental initiatives in 2017 valued at around RUB5.6 billion, or about US$98.3 million.
The initiatives are spread among each of MMK’s facilities, but the lion’s share of the investment is occurring at its Magnitogorsk works, where the focus will be on reducing air pollution. To that end, RUB3.6 billion worth of initiatives are planned. The initiatives are expected to reduce emissions by 2,500 metric tons annually and cut carbon intensity to 1.95 kilogram per metric ton of steel.
“Initiatives aimed at reducing air emissions will include building aspiration systems for casting beds at blast furnaces, as well as reconstruction work on the double-hearth furnace’s gas-cleaning unit and the ladle metallurgy facilities at the electric arc furnace,” the company said.
The company said that among its projects are upgrades to gas cleaning systems at the refractory shop and sintering plant at its Lipetsk facility and a new de-dusting system for its No. 4 blast furnace. Elsewhere, the company undertook projects to reclaim old landfills, build new sewage treatment plants and reduce noise pollution.
"We adopt new technologies and solutions in an effort to reduce our environmental footprint. Major investment in hundreds of environmental projects and initiatives over the past five years, totaling close to RUB26 billion, has delivered a significant boost to the company’s environmental performance,” said NLMK Group environmental director Galina Khristoforova in a statement.
“The company has ramped up its steel output by almost 50% during this period, while specific emissions have been reduced by 25%,” Khristoforova said.
Separately, OJSC Magnitogorsk Iron & Steel Works Group (MMK) said it intends to complete about 87 environmental initiatives in 2017 valued at around RUB5.6 billion, or about US$98.3 million.
The initiatives are spread among each of MMK’s facilities, but the lion’s share of the investment is occurring at its Magnitogorsk works, where the focus will be on reducing air pollution. To that end, RUB3.6 billion worth of initiatives are planned. The initiatives are expected to reduce emissions by 2,500 metric tons annually and cut carbon intensity to 1.95 kilogram per metric ton of steel.
“Initiatives aimed at reducing air emissions will include building aspiration systems for casting beds at blast furnaces, as well as reconstruction work on the double-hearth furnace’s gas-cleaning unit and the ladle metallurgy facilities at the electric arc furnace,” the company said.
