The Comprehensive Air Quality Index (CAQI) indicator for Magnitogorsk has almost halved over the past two years, official data shows, indicating a 2-fold improvement in air quality. The reading is the lowest in the history of Magnitogorsk. MMK has spent more than 21 billion rubles on environmental measures since 2017.
The CAQI for the city of Magnitogorsk for the first nine months of 2019 stood at 7.62, compared to 13.4 for the same period in 2017. The data is obtained from air quality observation stations belonging to the Russian Federal Service for Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring (Roshydromet) and MMK. Readings are conducted using Roshydromet methodology).
A number of MMK’s environmental projects have contributed to the sharp increase in air quality:
– Launch of the new sinter plant No. 5 in July (30 billion rubles). The plant is equipped with the latest environmental technologies, helping cut dust emissions in half (by 2.1 thousand tons per year), sulfur dioxide emissions 4-fold (by 3.5 thousand tons per year) and benzo(a)pyrene emissions 16-fold.
– Construction of aspirations systems at blast furnaces Nos. 9, 10 and 1 took place in 2017-2018, reducing dust emissions by a total of 1.14 thousand tons per year.
In 2017 reconstruction of the sinter plant’s sulfur recovery facilities improved the efficiency of air purification by up to 95%. Total investment in the project amounted to 3.5 billion rubles.
– Implementation of the program to reduce dust and gas emissions during coke production reduced the concentration of benzo(a)pyrene by 22% during the first nine months of the year.
Chairman of the MMK Board of Directors Victor Rashnikov said: “MMK has undertaken a number of major initiatives over many years to improve air quality in Magnitogorsk. We are confident of achieving the goal set out in our 2025 strategy of reducing the CAQI for Magnitogorsk to under 5, corresponding to the definition of a “Clean City”. Two key projects of MMK’s investment program will help to achieve the targeted CAQI reading: construction of the new coke oven No. 12, designed to replace five old units, will contribute to a radical reduction in total air emissions, while the construction of new blast furnace No. 11 will be equipped with advanced air purification systems. MMK’s environmental projects were included in the Clean Air program of the national Ecology project”.
In 2018 Magnitogorsk was removed from the list of cities with the most polluted air, according to a report by the Russian Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment. The authors of the study indicated that in 2018 the concentration of benzo(a)pyrene in the city more than halved.
MMK spent more than 58 billion rubles on environmental activities from 2000 to 2018. By 2025, MMK plans to allocate more than 38 billion rubles for new environmental projects. (MMK/Ukrainian metal)