A visiting session of the profile environmental commission of the Zaporizhzhia Regional Council took place at the plant

Last year, the Zaporizhstal plant signed a memorandum with the Zaporizhzhia Regional State Administration. According to the document, the plant took on additional obligations to reduce production emissions. In seven years, the enterprise must reduce dust and nitrogen oxide emissions by up to 20%.

To get acquainted with the objects of environmental modernization, an off-site meeting at the Zaporizhstal plant was held by members of the profile environmental commission of the Zaporizhzhia Regional Council, the city council, representatives of the environmental protection department of the Zaporizhzhia Regional State Administration with the participation of the People's Deputy of Ukraine Sergey Shtepa.

The General Director of the Zaporizhstal Plant Alexander Mironenko acquainted the members of the Ecocommission with the objects of the environmental modernization of the Plant. Over year the enterprise has already completed some of the environmental measures stipulated by the memorandum. Another part of the facilities is being modernized ahead of schedule.

- We undertook to complete the reconstruction of gas treatment at the tailings of machines in the sinter shop and have completed this in full measure. Two missing gas treatments were fully launched. They have already reached their design capacity. Now the dust level measured by the sensor is 30-45 mg per cubic meter, this corresponds to the European standards of 50 mg.

The next year, 2022, will be one of the key years in the environmental modernization of the plant.

- Next year we will reconstruct blast furnace No. 5 with the installation of modern bag filters, which are modern and efficient today.

According to the memorandum, we were supposed to reconstruct the blast furnace in 2027, but we will do it already in 2022.

We understand our responsibility to the city and its inhabitants, the key vector of Metinvest is to reduce the burden on the environment, - said Alexander Mironenko.

The members of the Ecocommission got acquainted with the work of the most modern blast furnace in Ukraine No. 3, visited the central control room of the plant, the sinter plant and the site, which is already preparing for the reconstruction of blast furnace No. 5.

It is planned to stop the furnace for reconstruction in summer of next year. The renovation will be carried out, the furnace will be rebuilt and a modern aspiration unit will be built.

Alexey Lebedev, Director of ALD Construction and Engineering, said that preparatory work on the reconstruction of blast furnace No. 5 is in full swing.

- Currently, the oven is equipped with the old aspiration system. Emissions do not exceed the standards approved by Ukrainian legislation, but it does not meet European requirements. Blast furnaces No. 2, 3, 4 are already equipped with new bag filters. This is a proven technology. It has been worked out and has shown results, reliability and efficiency. The emission level after the installation of these filters will not exceed 15 mg per cubic meter, - said Alexey Lebedev.

The pace of environmental modernization at the plant pleasantly surprised the members of the environmental commission.

- The impressions are very positive. We saw the filtration equipment and got to know how it works. Indeed, I can say that work on eco-modernization is being carried out here, and it will continue in the coming years, - said people's deputy Sergei Shtepa. I believe that such openness is the right way to build normal relations with society. Society demands change, and today I am assured that these changes are taking place.