1 March 2014
PJSC “AZOVSTAL IRON & STEEL WORKS” of Metinvest Group will allocate over UAH 157 million for environmental projects in the current year.
Modernization, environment and social responsibilities are the 2014 priorities of the enterprise as emphasized by Director General Enver Tskitishvili live on Mariupol Sigma TV Channel.
“Despite the expected decrease in production output this year, our enterprise is not going to reduce social expenditures. Modernization will continue as well. We start the reconstruction of Blast Furnace 4 as early as July this year, which will cost us $92 million. This is the project of utmost importance both in terms of production and emissions reduction. We continue the repairs of environmentally important equipment, install new filters of additional purification to make the air in the city cleaner”, - said Enver Tskitishvili.
According to Director of “AZOVSTAL IRON & STEEL WORKS”, the amount of capital investments into environmental projects and production facilities renovation can be compared to the annual budget of Mariupol. Metinvest has invested over UAH 1 billion into the capital and current repairs of process and environmental equipment of the enterprise and only within the last year. Enver Tskitishvili also informed that the enterprise will keep developing the cooperation with the community in terms of environmental protection.
“For the last year, we have reduced the emissions by 30% and established an efficient working board controlling the environment within the premises of the enterprise. We have opened the enterprise for public visits and are ready to continue such cooperation. In June, on shutting Blast Furnace 4 down for repair, public services and local authorities will be able to personally witness the actual condition of the furnace. We will show what we are going to improve and the future condition of the device after its start up early November”, - said Enver Tskitishvili.
The steelmaking giant is planning to improve the red fume suspension system at the BF No.5. A year ago this system was constructed from the point zero, now we perform alignment and improvement. At the BF No. 2 and BF No. 6 the environment protection systems will be repaired and ramped up. The decision was made regarding the reconstruction of the gas purification systems at the ladle furnaces and at the BOF Shop hot metal desulphurization department with installation of additional high capacity bag filters. Nowadays, the projects feasibility study is being developed.
Social partnership and assistance of the enterprise to the city will get stronger, underlined Director General of PJSC “AZOVSTAL IRON & STEEL WORKS”
“We will continue rendering our assistance to the City Hospital No. 4. Since 2006, about 75% of the buildings and departments were repaired due to the support of the enterprise. We will lead this project till the logic completion. About UAH 3 million are planned to be spent on Leporskiy Park. Last year, the park was transformed and became one of the favorite resting places for the most of Mariupol citizens. Now we need to complete reconstruction and adjust the whole outdoor activity territory”, – said Enver Tskitishvili.
Also Director General gave his comments on tragic events which took place in the country: “Bloodshed which happened during the political conflict of the last months is a big tragedy for Ukrainian citizens, – believes Director of Azovstal”. – All problems, all conflict situations in the society shall be solved only at the negotiation table and the interests of all population layers, all regions of the country shall be taken into account. Now the Cicero expression is actual more than ever – “We are slaves of the law so that we may be able to be free”.
According to Enver Tskitishvili, “today the main task for the enterprises of Metinvest Group is to continue stable operation, pay salaries, taxes, invest and develop regions of the enterprises presense. Hence, Metinvest is remaining outside the politics. There are no political agitations, propaganda meetings, especially protest meetings at the territory of the enterprise”.
- For editors:
PJSC "AZOVSTAL IRON & STEEL WORKS" is a modern high-technology enterprise manufacturing wide range of steel products: slabs, bars, shapes, railroad rails, rail fasteners, square billets, plates and products of metallurgical slag.
Production capacities of "AZOVSTAL IRON & STEEL WORKS" allow to produce annually over 5.5 mln. t of iron, over 6.2 mln. t of steel (aim is to achieve 7 mln.t of steel per year) and over 4.4 mln. t of rolled products. Design capacities for rail fasteners production is 285 thou t per year, grinding balls 170 thou t per year.
Metinvest is an international vertically integrated mining and metallurgical group of companies that manages assets in each segment of production chain, from extraction of iron ore raw materials and coal as well as coke production up to manufacture of steel semi-finished and finished products, pipes and coils and also manufacture of other high-value-added products. The Group incorporates mining and metallurgical enterprises located in Ukraine, Europe and USA and has sales network covering all global key markets. The shareholders of Metinvest Group are SCM Group (71.25%) and Smart Holding (23.75%) that manage the Company collaboratively.
"METINVEST HOLDING" LLC is the managing company of Metinvest Group.