Magnitogorsk Iron and Steel Works took first place in the "Eco-Environmental Enterprise" category of the "Clean Air" National Award for large-scale modernisation and implementation of environmental initiatives.

The Clean Air National Prize is awarded by Komsomolskaya Pravda media group and the Russian Ecological Movement - for best environmental practices, implementation of emission reduction and energy saving technologies. Applications from more than 100 nominees went through a voting procedure on the Komsomolskaya Pravda website and were evaluated by a panel of experts.

MMK was awarded a diploma in the Eco-Environmental Enterprise category for its large-scale modernisation and implementation of environmental initiatives. In 2015, MMK adopted a development strategy up to 2025, one of the key goals of which is to drastically reduce emissions, and the Company has been consistently implementing this strategy.

"Magnitogorsk Iron and Steel Works takes care of the well-being of its employees and residents of Magnitogorsk," said Grigory Shchurov, MMK's Director for Labour Protection, Industrial Safety and Environment, commenting on the presentation of the Clean Air Award to MMK. “Therefore, we see our key task in reducing the Companys’s technogenic load on the environment as necessary for implementing the principles of sustainable development, ensuring a decent future for all who live in Magnitogorsk".

Since 2017, taken as a baseline year for calculating air emissions, MMK has invested over USD 3.2 billion in projects aimed at reducing emissions and reduced gross pollutant emissions by 10.4 thousand tonnes. According to the development strategy up to 2025, MMK will reduce gross emissions by 30 thousand tonnes and specific emissions by 14% from 2017 to 2025 in total. The total investment in the protection of atmospheric air in Magnitogorsk over this period will amount to $7 billion.

The environmental measures implemented by MMK have already resulted in the reduction of Magnitogorsk's Comprehensive Atmospheric Pollution Index (CIPA) by 2.8 times since 2017. And by 2025, the CIPA will decrease to a level of less than 5 units, which will correspond to the Clean City status.

To reduce atmospheric emissions and make Magnitogorsk a more comfortable place to live, MMK is implementing major infrastructure projects. A striking example of environmental investment over the past few years is the construction of Russia's most modern sinter plant No.5, as well as the aspiration systems for foundry yards and bunker rooms at six blast furnaces, reconstruction of the gas-cleaning unit of the double-furnace steelmaking unit and sulphur scrubbing units in the sinter shop. Construction of coke oven battery No. 12 and gas cleaning facilities in the oxygen converter and electric steelmaking shops is underway. Construction of a new blast furnace No. 11 (to be launched in 2025) is planned. Implementation of the above projects will make it possible to decommission obsolete units: five coke oven batteries and three blast furnaces, which will help make the air in Magnitogorsk much cleaner.