Media Center

Metal Cup contestants to propose low-carbon development strategy for TMK

TMK is the title sponsor of the Metal Cup Russian national championship in technological strategy. The 2021 championship theme is industrial sustainability, so the company proposed that contesting students to solve various cases connected to TMK plants’ carbon footprint reduction.

The company participates in the Metal Cup through TMK2U Corporate University under a plan for vocational guidance and cooperation with tertiary and secondary vocational educational institutions. Continuous comprehensive vocational guidance by TMK2U allows the company to stay in touch with young talent beginning in high school, invite students for apprenticeships and provide employment at for the best graduates.

The championship final will be held on May 26-28 in Yekaterinburg. During the event, tertiary and secondary vocational institution student teams will solve cases prepared by TMK experts and competition organizers.

The major league contestants – university students – will have to develop a low-carbon development strategy for TMK to halve greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. The contestants will have to analyze a number of factors: production processes at plants, emission sources, opportunities to reduce the company’s environmental footprint, economic costs and potential risks.

The minor league contestants – secondary students – will design a project to reduce steelmaking greenhouse gas emissions at the Taganrog Metallurgical Works (TAGMET, part of TMK) to target levels. To do this, they will analyze the steelmaking process, determine its environmental footprint, develop technology to reduce emissions and evaluate the effectiveness of their solutions.

 “Environmental protection and caring for the environment are a key focus of TMK’s business development. To do this, we upgrade production facilities, develop and implement environmental strategies and targeted programs. We supported the Metal Cup national championship to share these values with the younger generation, engage them in environmental protection and encourage new ideas. We selected actual cases from TMK plants for the contestants, as this will help the students to get immersed in operational problem-solving, analyze the situation and come up with their own solutions to the challenges facing the company. It will be the first major project experience for some of them, and will motivate others to study and implement advanced environmental protection practices at Russian metallurgical plants,” said Elena Pozolotina, Deputy CEO for Human Resources at TMK and the Director of the TMK2U Corporate University.

The Metal Cup international championship has been held since 2015 with support from government development agencies, including the Presidential Grants Foundation, Ministry of Industry and Trade, Ministry of Science and Higher Education and the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation. The championship, which started in November 2020, includes several stages. The national finals will be held in May 2021, and the international finals during September-October 2021. The project is organized by the Young Professional Metallurgist Platform, the largest international youth association of Russia’s metallurgical industry.