OREANDA-NEWS. Yenakiyevo Steel Plant operating under umbrella of Metinvest Group continues implementing the actions to mitigate its environmental footprint. In 2012, YeMZ invested UAH 123m in environmental activities while in H1 2013 the amount of investment made UAH 90m.

Most funds were used to overhaul and reconstruct the environmental protection equipment, develop design documents for new environmentally advanced facilities. YeMZ focuses its environmental efforts on air protection.

Air protection

In H1 2013, YeMZ sinter plant overhauled the filtration system of sinter machine No.1, which resulted in a 4% emission reduction. During this period YeMZ also initiated the experimental use of a new technology of surface active agents for pelletization at the sinter plant and thus managed to reduce emissions from this facility by 8%. In addition, the company equipped the sinter plant with modern automated ventilation controls (exhausters) and increased the service life of exhauster rotors. This helped to enhance reliability of the sinter facilities and reduce dust emissions as switching operations of the ventilation system were discontinued. The dust suppression system has been in place at the ore storage yard of YeMZ sinter plant since 15 April 2013. In October 2013, the company is going to reconstruct the gas exhaust duct of converter No.1.

The highlight of H1 2013 was a launch of a project for construction of a modern sinter plant, which would reduce sinter plant emissions tenfold and the plant emissions sevenfold.

On 14 June, Metinvest signed an agreement with Siemens VAI, an Austria-based leading metallurgical equipment producer, to do a detailed engineering study. The President of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych and President of SCM (major shareholder of Metinvest and YeMZ) Rinat Akhmetov took part in the signing ceremony. CEO of Metinvest Igor Syry and Vice President of Siemens VAI Christoph Aichinger signed the agreement.

“In recent years, the environmental issue has been a concern for us. I am very grateful to investors, and Rinat Akhmetov personally, for the investments they made to address the issue,” commented Viktor Yanukovych during his visit.

It is noteworthy that YeMZ ranked first in the oblast in terms of air protection funding in 2011 and 2012.

Waste water treatment

In H1 2013, YeMZ made an overhaul of treatment facilities and waterworks to protect water basins: a new pump house and facility processing water for a continuous caster and ladle furnace. The company maintained steel structures and machinery at radial-flow sedimentation tank No.1 and plans to overhaul radial-flow sedimentation tank No.2.

Along with repairs, YeMZ works to purify its cooling pond. Up to date it has pumped out 68,000 cubic meters of silt slurry into a slurry pond, spending nearly UAH 3m on it.

Soil and surface water protection and rehabilitation

To lessen its footprint on soil, YeMZ reconstructs its sludge storage pit to create additional space for disposal of waste (sludge) from blast furnace and converter processes.

Adverse weather conditions

In H1 2013, the company received no notice of adverse weather conditions. Nevertheless, the company's environmental protection unit kept on measuring wind speed and direction as well as dust concentration to adapt operations accordingly. Moreover, during public events in the town YeMZ reduced production in line with a management decision. Production losses made 10,000 tonnes of sinter because of the shut-off of sinter machines.

Control over environmental activities

YeMZ Group has all permits and meets all environmental management objectives according to ISO 14001.

During the first six months of 2013, health inspection services and an environmental control unit of Yenakiyevo region conducted three audits at YeMZ to check compliance with healthcare and environmental laws. Environmental audits found no excessive emissions, failures to observe the timelines of environmental measures and unregistered sources of emissions.

“The company accounts for 51% of emissions in the town, yet it funds 99% of environmental activities in Yenakiyevo,” says YeMZ Engineering Director Igor Semion. “We embrace the approach suggested by the town council in its long-term environmental protection programme: air pollution should be addressed in a holistic way, with due regard to contribution of every business and all contamination factors.”