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TMK wins the ECOTECH-LEADER 2022 national award

TMK has been named a winner of the ECOTECH-LEADER 2022 annual National Environmental Technology Awards. The AQA project implemented at two TMK enterprises, Pervouralsk Pipe Plant and Chelyabinsk Pipe Plant (PNTZ and CHTPZ), and aimed at minimizing the environmental impact from production operations has won the Construction and Operation of Treatment Facilities category.

Companies contesting the award presented powerful solutions driving sustainability through the technological modernization of production facilities and their environmental safety, consistency with best available technology, efficient use of natural resources, development of environmental programs, and minimization of pollution. The projects were examined by experts representing federal authorities, the business community, development agencies and investment funds, scientific and environmental organizations, industry alliances and associations.

The award’s expert panel praised the AQA project that involved the launch of AQA Genesis and AQA Crystal water treatment facilities at PNTZ and CHTPZ. The AQA Genesis facility required an investment of RUB 520 million to ensure environmentally-friendly water recycling for PNTZ’s pipe production facilities and thus minimize river water withdrawal. The RUB 750 million AQA Crystal facility is aimed at reducing CHTPZ’s environmental impact by eliminating acidic wastewater discharges from industrial etching operations into Lake Shelyugino.

 Sergey Alekseev, Chairman of the Committee on Environmental Management and Ecology under the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Deputy Chairman of the Public Council of the Russian Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, Distinguished Ecologist of Russia, and Chairman of the Expert Panel of the ECOTECH-LEADER 2022 national award, said: “I would like to emphasize the high level of projects submitted to the competition. The award’s expert panel was hard put to pick the best entries. When selecting winners in each category, we were guided by criteria such as a project’s novelty, social and economic importance, as well as its performance in terms of environmental protection.”

The winner selection stage of the ECOTECH-LEADER 2022 award included a strategic session themed Environmental Upgrade in a New Reality: An Unaffordable Luxury or a Conscious Need? Elena Mikhailova, head of the Climate Function and TMK’s Chief Environmental Engineer, made a presentation at the event. She spoke about TMK’s priorities within the new environmental agenda for 2022 and shared lessons from applying best available technology in environmental protection.

Ms. Mikhailova said: “TMK regularly sets new targets for improving the environmental performance of its operations and actively engages with local communities, regional authorities and leading industrial partners to roll out new environmental protection practices. We run comprehensive programs in a variety of areas: carbon footprint reduction, efficient resource use and lower resource consumption, as well as industrial waste management. At the same time, the Company is strongly focused on water conservation and water treatment initiatives. The water recycling ratio at the Company’s plants averages almost 96%, and we intend to improve this figure. By participating in the ECOTECH-LEADER award, we are not only able to showcase our approaches and solutions but also engage external expertise to enhance our projects.”

For the second year running, the ECOTECH LEADER award recognizes achievements in developing, introducing and promoting advanced technology as a crucial element of the sustainability agenda in environmental protection and management. In 2022, 28 companies won the award, with a total of more than 100 entries submitted. TMK has won the ECOTECH-LEADER award for the second time: in 2021, TMK’s Volzhsky Pipe Plant (VTZ) won the Effective Environmental Management category with its project to integrate ESG principles into an enterprise environmental management system.