Magnitogorsk Iron and Steel Works (MMK) was named one of the laureates of the second nationwide I Choose Clean Air campaign at an award ceremony in Moscow on 28 September. Organised with the support of Russia’s Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment, the campaign aims to encourage business and society to play a role in the national Clean Air project.

MMK received awards in several categories, including Most Active Enterprise and Best Campaign Communications. The jury lauded the Company’s efforts to reduce its atmospheric emissions as well as to promote healthy lifestyles among its employees.

“Improving the environmental situation in the region where we operate is a top priority for MMK. We have been playing an active role in implementing the national Clean Air project since its inception in 2018. Since then, we have reduced our annual atmospheric emissions by more than 42 thousand tonnes. We have reduced benzo[a]pyrene concentrations during this period by about 65% and dust concentrations by about 37%. Between 2017 and 2022, we invested more than RUB 72 billion in environmental protection,” said Oleg Parfilov, MMK’s Director for Occupational Health, Industrial Safety and the Environment.

The Company has launched state-of-the-art environmental facilities as part of its large-scale programme to modernise the first stage in its production process. Last year, a system of gas treatment facilities was brought online at MMK’s oxygen converter shop that has not only made dust and gas scrubbing more efficient, but has also fully eliminated fugitive emissions from the converters under all operating conditions. In 2022, MMK launched a dust suppression system at its blast furnace and sinter mix preparation shops, in addition to building an aspiration system for the stock house of blast furnace No. 9.

Construction of MMK’s new coke battery No. 12, with a capacity of 2.5 million tonnes of dry coke per year, is currently under way. The phased launch of the new plant will enable the Company to decommission five obsolete plants and reduce atmospheric dust emissions by 11,350 tonnes per year. These and other activities will result in a radical improvement in the Comprehensive Air Quality Index in Magnitogorsk, which will enable the city to obtain Clean City status in 2025.

The nationwide I Choose Clean Air campaign is carried out with support from the project office of the national Clean Air project run by Russia’s Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment. The purpose of the campaign is to draw attention to the national Environment project and promote environmental education for the younger generation, while also highlighting projects aimed improving air quality, developing environmental programmes and reducing environmental pollution. MMK was one of the campaign laureates for the second year in a row.

Corporate news from global emerging markets companies, provided by the IntelliNews Press Release service.