Focus on environmental issues

Measures to reduce the impact on the environment, including reducing emissions, are developed and implemented by PJSC KuibyshevAzot as part of the Company's investment program. In recent years, a large amount of work has been done in this regard.

For one, in 2020, emissions from the storage facility of the nitric acid production were reduced; emissions from the steam-stripping column of the ammonia workshop were excluded. A turnaround maintenance and retrofit of the equipment for production of ammonia, mineral fertilizers and caprolactam were carried out, aimed at reducing resource consumption and environmental impact.

The construction of a new granulation and evaporation plant for the ammonium nitrate production is in progress. Its commissioning will allow reducing air emissions by 200 tons per year. The project cost is 3.5 billion rubles.

In 2020, air emissions were reduced by 6.7% compared to 2019.

Such results have been made possible due to introduction of advanced resource-saving technologies with a level of environmental and industrial safety corresponding to the highest world standards. The total amount of 6.7 billion rubles was allocated for these purposes, as well as for the modernization of existing capacities. The total cost of environmental projects and environmental measures amounted to 5 billion rubles, including capital costs of 3 billion rubles.

In 2020, the construction of the first stage of storm water treatment facilities for the Northern Industrial Hub and part of the Central District of Togliatti was completed. The first stage of the project was included in the federal program Improvement of the Volga River as part of the national project Ecology and was implemented at the expense of the enterprise's own funds. The volume of investments in the first stage amounted to 872 million rubles, while the total investment in the project will amount to 1.2 billion rubles. The construction of the second stage is in progress at the moment, and the final start-up of the treatment facilities using the full process scheme with biological treatment is scheduled for the end of 2021. Operation of the new treatment facilities will make a sizable contribution to the ecological recovery of the Volga. As a result of the project implementation, it is expected to reduce the dirty discharge runoff by 10.5 million cubic meters per year. 

The enterprise is constantly monitoring compliance with safety and environmental standards and performing production control. Thus, in 2020, more than 21,000 compositional analyses of the emissions, of ambient air quality and wastewater of various categories were performed at PJSC KuibyshevAzot. In 2020, measurements at the border of the sanitary protection zone were carried out by a Privolzhskaya UGMS independent laboratory, which made 4,648 measurements.

The works on implementation of the automated control system (SAC) of emissions is in progress, despite the fact that KuibyshevAzot is not included in the list of 300 main contaminating plants established by the Ministry of Nature of the Russian Federation, for which  SAC implementation period is determined on a first-priority basis. Nevertheless, an analyzer for continuous measurement of ammonia in the emission was previously installed at the ammonia plant, which allows monitoring the state of emissions into the atmosphere. In the current year, design work is planned for the installation of SAC at the nitric acid production.

Given the announcement of unfavorable meteorological conditions PJSC KuibyshevAzot adheres to the action plan approved by the Samara Region Ministry of Forestry to reduce emissions during adverse weather conditions.

In 2020, due to the constant updating of equipment, the introduction of advanced technologies, it was possible to achieve a considerable reduction in the specific consumption of heat energy by 10.1 %, electricity by 7.8% and river water by 5.4. The volume of greenhouse gas generation was reduced by 5%.

For the period 2000-2020, with the volume of commercial products doubling, a decrease in chemical contaminated effluents by 1.4 times, specific emissions by 2.1 times, electricity consumption per ton of products and river water by 2 times, and heat energy by 1.8 times was recorded.

Since 2012, KuibyshevAzot has financed and participated in the restoration and subsequent care of 39 hectares of Tolyatti forests. In 2020, the Company eliminated more than 19,000 square meters of unauthorized urban landfills.

With regards to the matters of environmental impact, KuibyshevAzot conducts a dialogue with all concerned parties, interacting with the expert community, environmental social organizations and citizens.