OREANDA-NEWS. February 01, 2011. In 2010, the Phosphorit Industrial Group (Phosphorit), part of the EuroChem Mineral and Chemical Company, spent a total of RUB 400 million on the implementation of environmental protection measures in Kingisepp, Leningrad region. Along with direct expenditures on environmental protection, capital investments were also allocated to repair key assets of the environmental protection department and toward projects meant to reduce environmental risks. In 2009, similar expenditures totaled RUB 167.4 million.

Reducing environmental risks is a key task at Phosphorit. In 2010, the Company carried out a large-scale project involving the replacement of obsolete equipment used in the production of sulphuric and phosphoric acids. As a result, the company was able to reduce annual emissions of hydrogen fluoride (HF) by 22.75 tonnes, sulphuric acid by 46.64 tonnes, and diphosphorus pentoxide (P2O5) by 30.52 tonnes. Overall, the company has reduced emissions by 43.6% over the last five years.

In 2011, plans call for the completion of the reconstruction of the phosphogypsum repository and the slurry hydraulic handling system at the wet-process phosphoric acid facility. The implementation of this project will provide another 20 years of adequate space for the storage of solid non-toxic waste. This investment activity has been provided with a sizeable budget of RUB 211 million, of which RUB 130 million has already been spent.

Further investments in 2011 provide for the construction of a new decantation unit at the effluent treatment and neutralization facility. With a total cost of RUB 28 million, this unit will further reduce the risks of soil pollution, as well as surface and groundwater contamination.

The “Reconstruction of disposal facilities for oily and industrial wastewater” project will begin in early 2012. A tender is currently open for the project and, at a cost of RUB 40 million, it is designed to reduce effluents of iron by 62.1%, copper by 61.5%, fluoride by 15.9%, and phosphorus by 89%, among others.