Novolipetsk Steel has launched a new environmental protection project at its Sinter Plant – revamping the central dust collecting system for sintering machines No.3 and No.4 which will facilitate a significant reduction of atmospheric emissions.

Due to the gradual modernization of the two sintering machines, which have a total capacity of over 7.3 million tonnes per annum, the facilities’  impact on the environment will be decreased by 1.4 times and the Sinter Plant’s total atmospheric dust emissions at the Lipetsk site will be cut by 28%. In order to reach this environmental target, obsolete equipment will be replaced by modern electric precipitators supplied by Alstom Power. Fe-containing dust trapped by the filters will be recycled and used for sinter production.

1,640 tonnes of equipment will be installed for this new environmental project which is part of the 2nd stage of NLMK's Technical Upgrade Program.   About RUR1.2 billion of total investment will be required.  The first stage (Sintering Machine No.4) is scheduled for commissioning in Q2 2011, with the second (Sintering Machine No.3) – in Q3 2012. At present the old equipment is being dismantled.

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In line with its consistent policy of controlling and reducing negative environmental impacts, NLMK plans to continue its fundamental modernization and introduction of new environmental techniques at the Sinter Plant. In 2010 NLMK plans to spend over RUR4 billion on environmental protection projects at its main production site in Lipetsk.  This is the largest investment into the environmental program from the launch of NLMK’s technical upgrade plans. NLMK’s Environmental Management System has been certified for compliance with the international standard ISO 14001-2004. In 2010 the Company successfully passed the annual compliance audit conducted by the certification authority TÜV Rheinland Cert GmbH (Germany).