Russia marked Environment Day on June 5 – an important date for Magnitogorsk Iron and Steel Works (MMK), as the company annually invests billions of rubles in environmental activities.
Employees of MMK’s environmental laboratory, created three decades ago, celebrated their professional holiday. Ongoing reduction of the plant’s environmental impact and adoption of the best available technologies are central elements of MMK’s strategy to support the company’s long-term sustainable growth.
MMK has integrated an environmental management system that meets ISO 14001 requirements and has been certified by Germany’s TÜV NORD CERT, a respected and widely known international certification authority.
In 2017 ММК invested more than 4 billion rubles in environmental activities. Key projects over the past year included reconstruction of sulfur-capture systems at the sinter plant, reconstruction of the gas-cleaning unit at the double-hearth furnace in the electric arc furnace facility, and construction of casting-bed aspiration systems at blast furnaces Nos. 9 and 10.
In 2018 MMK will invest 5.5 billion rubles in construction of environmental facilities. Key areas include construction of casting-bed and stock-house aspiration systems at blast-furnace No. 1 to reduce dust emissions by 800 tons per year; completion of the reconstruction of the water circulation supply system to reduce discharges of water pollutants by 47 thousand tons; and construction of environmental facilities at the new sintering plant No. 5.
To enhance the efficiency of the company’s environmental efforts, in 2015 MMK developed the Clean City strategic initiative, targeting a low level of air pollution in Magnitogorsk by 2025 (Air Quality Index below 5 units). MMK’s total investment in environmental activities through 2025 is planned to exceed 38 billion rubles. (MMK/Ukrainian metal)