Environment

One of the main principles of our work is to organize production with a minimum impact on the environment. We improve on a continuous basis our technologies and equipment to ensure that they conform to the highest environmental standards

Three of our enterprises have been already certified as conforming to international standards. KOKS, Uchastok Koksovy open-pit mine and Berezovskaya washing plant have received certificates of conformity to the environmental management standard ISO 14001. At the KMAruda a unique complex that allows to completely dispose of rock refuse has been implemented.

We have achieved substantial success in implementing new ecologically clean technologies. Thus, KOKS is the only enterprise in CIS at which all coke batteries are equipped with closed discharge machines for dust-free discharge of hot coke to quenchers. Due to the environment protection measures that have been taken, the plant has achieved a significant reduction of the level of discharge of dust and other hazardous substances in the air.

After purification of coke gas from hazardous, corrosive and valuable condensable products, it is used for heating coke batteries, as well as production of electric power. At present, the coke gas surplus is sold to external consumers, for example, Kemerovo Hydroelectric Power Plant, but, after commissioning of the own power plant which construction is well under way, KOKS will use all surplus by itself.

Upgrading of the waste water biochemical treatment plant has enabled KOKS to reduce the volume of consumed water per ton of produced coke from 0.402 m³ in January 2003 to 0.29 m³ in 2009. This indicator conforms to requirements of standards that are in effect in EU (0.3 — 0.4 m³ of water per ton of coke). A closed cycle water supply technology is used in production, as a result of which discharge of waste water has been completely stopped from January 2009.

In 2012, a mechanised loading and unloading complex for coke coal storage and homogenisation was commissioned at KOKS. Due to implementation of this project, the enterprise has achieved reduction of dust discharge by the coal preparation shop of the enterprise by 70%.

OAO KOKS is an example of use of modern technologies to improve environmental indicators.

In 2012, based on the results of a five-year survey, the Russian agency «Interfax-ERA» recognized this plant as the most environmentally and energy effective enterprise in Russia among almost four thousand participants of the rating. In addition, KOKS is a repeat winner of the annual prestigious Russian competition «100 best Russian companies. Environment and environmental management» which is organised by the Council of the Federation Committee for Agrarian and Food Policy and Environmental Management, Committee of the State Duma for Natural Resources, Exploitation of Natural Resources and Environment, and Education Committee of the State Duma.

PAO Tulachermet has also achieved substantial success in reducing impact on the environment. The enterprise uses a close-loop water supply system with no discharge of production waste water to water bodies.

Blast furnace gases are fully utilized by power supply facilities of the enterprise. The effective dust suppression system makes it possible to return a considerable share of wastes to production.

In total, over the last three years, Tulachermet has spent over half a billion roubles for environment protection. The result of the carried out work over 7 years (2009 to 2015) is reduction of discharge of hazardous substances in the air by 3.7 thousand tons per year. Implementation of the program of rational use of water resources made it possible reduce water abstraction from the river Upa from 10.2 mln m³ per year in 2002 to 5.2 mln m³ per year in 2014.

Berezovskaya washing plant operates using a closed water supply cycle. Discharge of waste water by the enterprise to the environment is completely excluded. Dust suppression systems used by the plant make it possible to minimise dust discharge. The tailing storage facility of the plant conforms to the best European standards.

IMH’s coke coal production assets have a minimum impact on the environment. The production complex of the Butovskaya mine and Uchastok Koksovy open pit conform to all modern standards for environmental safety and labour safety assurance at coal producing enterprises.

KMAruda carries out underground mining of ferruginous quartzites and their processing into iron-ore concentrate, using relatively safe processes that do not involve the use of chemicals or process heating.

Wastes of the concentrating production are fully disposed of in the mine using a unique gobbing complex that was commissioned in 2009.

The gobbing complex is a continuously operating shop that has looped the production cycle of the plant (ore mining — processing — transportation of concentrate to consumers — waste utilization). It uses tailings of the concentrating plant to produce a mixture, which is then gobbed in mined-out areas of the Gubkin mine. This way the enterprise has renounced the storage of these wastes at an open tailing dump.

This complex that gobs tailings in mined-out mine chambers has made it possible for KMAruda to become the world’s only wasteless enterprise producing ferruginous quartzites using the underground method. It has made it possible to solve a few tasks at a time: to reduce man-caused impact on the natural landscape, fill in the mined-out area, cut down expenses for the waste storage process and maximise the use of own water supply for the production process.