POLYMETAL: the principles of sustainable development are at the heart of its activities

30.09.2021
30.09.2021 Posts %s

POLYMETAL: the principles of sustainable development are at the heart of its activities

Pyotr Vinokurov, a leading environmental engineer of the Polymetal brunch in Sakha Republic, presented the company's initiatives and modern approaches in the field of environmental safety and environmental protection at the III Northern Sustainable Development Forum.

Polymetal is one of the leaders in the extraction of precious metals with assets in Russia and Kazakhstan. The company implements projects for the development of two deposits in Yakutia – the Nezhdaninsky gold deposit in the Tomponsky district and the silver in Verkhoyansky district.

The company is included in the global Dow Jones Sustainability Index – a list of the best companies by environmental, social and managerial criteria. According to the results of the corporate sustainability development done by S&P in 2020, Polymetal became one of the 16 world leaders in the industrial sector and the only company in the index with active assets in the CIS countries. Polymetal is among the top 10 "greenest" companies in the country according to Forbes.

'Today we are on the cusp of launching a mining and ore-dressing plant at one of the largest deposits in Russia – Nezhdaninsky. The company laid down modern environmental solutions at the design stage,' emphasizes Pyotr Vinokurov. - 'In particular, in order to minimize the environmental impact, the option of semi-dry impounding was chosen, and a recycling water supply system of production was introduced."

According to him, a new energy complex with diesel generators will be launched at the field. The resource of each of the 7 diesels is practically unlimited, and fuel consumption is significantly lower than analogues. In addition, a heat recovery system is provided at the installation – the exhaust gases will heat the entire industrial settlement. The installed overhead transmission line under construction from the district center – the village Khandyga – to the field will also increase energy efficiency.

'Our company's enterprises have implemented an environmental management system (EMS), which is certified in accordance with the ISO international standard and its effect extends to all production processes. All employees are involved in compliance with high environmental standards. For example, at Nezhdaninsky, on the initiative of the workers themselves, separate garbage collection has been introduced. They also found there an opportunity to reuse waste. For example, waste oils are used for heating rooms, and stripping soils are used for the construction of roads and playgrounds,' says Pyotr Vinokurov.

Polymetal enterprises constantly organize various environmental campaigns. For example, in August, employees of the branch in Yakutia let more than 4 thousand young sturgeons free to Lena River. Also, miners regularly hold community cleanups, including cleaning watersides, and are actively engaged in reforestation.

'This spring, Polymetal completed the corporate environmental contest called 'Green Ideas for a Million'. Its received about 100 ideas, which indicates a high eco-activity of employees. In the final, the experts selected four winners. These are projects focused on solving real and urgent environmental problems that can give a long-term positive effect. They will be implemented with the support of the company. Two of them are presented from Yakutia, - says Pyotr Vinokurov. - 'Therefore, the eco-project in Verkhoyanye will allow to put in order the territory of the old geological base located next to the licensed site of the Prognoz deposit. The lands in the Tomponsky district – near the Nezhdaninsky deposit, where scrap metal has accumulated since the 70s, will also be cleaned and improved.'

He also noted that Polymetal recently published its first Climate Report together with a strategic goal to reduce specific greenhouse gas emissions by 30% by 2030, including an interim goal to reduce emissions by 15% by 2025. To achieve these goals, a program that includes a wide range of projects, including: a construction of own solar and wind electric power plants on or near production areas, investments in connecting remote production sites to the main power grids and a purchasing electricity from suppliers with the lowest carbon footprint, an electrification of mining equipment, a continuous improvement of energy efficiency of enterprises has been developed.

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