Today, the XII International Ecology Forum begins in Moscow, in which Magnitogorsk Iron and Steel Works (MMK) will take part.

The Forum, held annually since 2009, is one of the leading public platforms that forms the guidelines for state policy in the field of environmental protection. This important environmental event identifies Russia's main environmental problems and forms the conditions for an open dialogue between the authorities, society and business.

To support the Forum's business programme, an exhibition is being organised to showcase the latest environmental technologies and equipment. Among the exhibitors is MMK, whose delegation at the Forum was headed by MMK CEO Pavel Shilyaev, MMK's CEO. At MMK's stand, visitors to the Forum can learn about MMK's environmental activities and its largest implemented environmental projects, as well as about the new environmental protection facilities being built as part of the plant's investment programme.

For example, in the last five years, as part of the Company's environmental strategy, MMK commissioned major environmental facilities, such as a new sulphur recovery unit No. 2 in the Sinter Shop, a gas purification unit for the twin-smelting unit No. 32 in the Electric Arc Furnace Shop, aspiration systems for casting yards and bunker rooms of Blast Furnaces No. 1, 2, 9, 10; a separating dam with culverts which enabled the transition to a closed circulation water supply system. In addition, the new sinter plant No.5, equipped with state-of-the-art environmental protection facilities, should be mentioned: its commissioning made it possible to put the obsolete sinter plant No.4 out of operation.

MMK's total investment in environmental protection over this period amounted to over RUB 24 billion. Thanks to the measures implemented, gross atmospheric emissions were reduced by almost 15,000 tonnes per year. In addition, industrial wastewater discharge into the Magnitogorsk Reservoir was stopped.

Significant environmental investments planned for the coming years will further reduce the technogenic load on the environment. In particular, the construction of the new coke oven battery No. 12, the launch of which will make it possible to decommission five old coke oven batteries and reduce gross emissions by 11,350 tonnes per year. The project will also include reconstruction of a plant for capturing and processing chemical products, as well as the construction of a biochemical installation, which will increase the efficiency of coke gas purification by 20%, reduce emissions of hydrocarbons into the atmosphere by three times and enable repeatedly improving wastewater treatment at the biochemical plant.

In addition, the new blast furnace no. 11 will be built, which will make it possible to put three old blast furnaces out of operation, thus reducing gross emissions by 6,600 tonnes per year; the gas-cleaning units used in the steelmaking process will be reconstructed with converter gas recovery devices; measures will be continued to reclaim disturbed land, to plant trees in Magnitogorsk and to preserve and increase biodiversity in the Chelyabinsk Region.

The XII International Ecology Forum takes place on 24-25 May 2021 at Moscow's World Trade Centre. The event is organised by the Ecology Public Forum, whose Public Council is chaired by Nikolai Valuev, First Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Ecology and Environmental Protection. The Forum is supported and co-organised by the Federation Council of the Russian Federation, the State Duma of the Russian Federation, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Ecology, the Ministry of Construction and Housing and Communal Services, the Federal Service for Supervision of Natural Resources and other relevant ministries and agencies.