MMK invests RUB 1.64 bln in environmental protection activities in 1H 2017

PJSC Magnitogorsk Iron and Steel Works ("MMK") invested RUB 1.64 bln in renovating and building new environmental facilities in the first six months of 2017.

The initiatives are part of the MMK annual environmental program designed to minimise the impact of production facility and unit operations on the environment.

Most projects implemented by MMK as part of the programme use the best available technologies ensuring world-class performance.

Recently, the reconstruction of the sulphur collection unit No. 2 in the sintering plant was completed. As a result, all gas leaving sinter plant No. 2 (1.4 mln Nm3/h) could now be purified from sulphur dioxide (SO2) to a level reaching 95% purity (in line with the EU best practices) and from suspended substances to a level reaching 97% purity.

Furthermore, new aspiration system for foundries on blast furnace No. 10 was put into operation. The installation has capacity of 800,000 m3 / h and will make possible to collect dust from the foundries of the blast furnace. This will enable a dust emissions reduction of more than 320 tonnes per year.

Reconstruction of the gas cleaning system on the dual-shaft steelmaking unit (DSPA-32) in the MMK electric steel smelting shop was also carried out. The system has capacity of 1.260 mln Nm3/h. In the course of implementation of the project, the old wet gas cleaning system No. 32 was replaced by a modern dry gas cleaning system. The new equipment is designed to catch, cool and clean the flue gas produced during operation of the dual-shaft steelmaking unit, as well as the fugitive emissions that escape through the gas outlet. The process will remove 99% of all harmful gas during production, with residual dust levels 20 mg/nm³. This will enable a dust emissions reduction of up to 1,800 tonnes per year.

Works are continuing on the reclamation of quarries, decommissioned after the extraction of mineral resources. Since 2011, measures have been taken for the technical and biological reclamation of the Western quarry of the Magnetic Mountain. To restore the landscape, the exploited quarry is filled up with rubble and slag. After that, a soil layer is laid out and green spaces are later created. In 2017, a total area of 20,000 square meters will be planted with 1,500 trees and shrubs such as ash tree, apple tree, rose hip and acacia.