We know that the impact we have on air, land and water – and particularly the impact of our emissions on air quality – are among the most important issues for the communities in which we work, and for our stakeholders more widely. 

We aim to meet or outperform air quality regulations wherever we operate, and investigate all concerns raised so that we can take action where it is required. ArcelorMittal Temirtau has made significant progress in improving air quality - both through better processes and investment in capital improvements. We know that air quality remains one of the key issues raised by our stakeholders in our local community and we continue to prioritise our investments in this area.

 

 

Assessing the specific causes of air quality, particularly in urban and industrial areas, is complex, since it can be the result of a range of sources - including transport, domestic heating and industry – as well as specific weather conditions, and third-party investigations are needed. 

Since 2011, ArcelorMittal Temirtau has invested $ 238.6m (USD) in environmental improvements, mostly linked to dust reduction. These projects include:

• reconstruction of the dust-cleaning equipment of the cooling zone of the Sinter Plant and the casting yard and the belt-conveyor trestle of Blast Furnace No. 3 with the installation of hose filters; 
• installation of electrostatic precipitators for cleaning unorganised emissions from casting yards in BF-2, 4; 
• reconstruction of the gas exhaust duct in BOF-1, 2, 3 with the construction of primary gas cleaning for each converter and secondary gas cleaning for all three converters;
• reconstruction of the electrostatic precipitator behind the rotary lime kiln No. 3 in the lime shop; the reconstruction of the coke gas coolant system in the coke plant. 

This has resulted in a 23% improvement in dust levels from 2011 to 2017. Whilst SOx levels have reduced since 2007, NOx levels have increased by about 8-9% in absolute due to the quality of coal available. 

For the period 2018-2022, ArcelorMittal Temirtau has a $198m (USD) environmental investment plan, which is intended to bring the company into compliance with the environmental limits set by the regulator. We currently exceed the limits of dust emissions in the sinter plant, lime shop, power plant-1&2, coal preparation shop of coke plant. On the line of the sanitary protection zone we have above-limit values for hydrogen sulphide, ammonia, phenol, and sometimes for sulphur dioxide. After this latest capex programme – with the modernisation of boiler equipment and gas cleaning, the transition to natural gas as a fuel for both power plants, the installation of electrostatic precipitators behind the sintering zone of sintering machines No. 5-7, the reconstruction of dust-cleaning equipment in the sinter and coke plant as well as BOF-shop - it will be possible to reduce dust emissions by 80% compared with 2018 levels. 

Assessing the specific makeup of air quality, particularly in urban and industrial areas, is complex, since it can be the result of a range of emissions – from transport, domestic heating and industry – as well as specific weather conditions, so third-party investigations are needed. 

ArcelorMittal Temirtau is committed to actively cooperating with local air quality monitoring organisations, and will continue to report this information to the local community periodically. An automatic monitoring system is installed on the line of the sanitary protection zone, and information on air quality on this line is published monthly. In addition, there are outlet monitoring systems at the BF-3 (dust meter), rotary lime kiln No. 3 (dust meter and gas analyser), secondary gas cleaning of BOF-shop (dust meter) and primary gas cleaning (carbon oxide analysers). It is planned to install monitoring systems on the newly installed dust-cleaning equipment - in the zone of sintering machines no. 5-7, rotary lime kiln no. 2, and gas cleaning in the boiler shops of power plants 1 & 2. 

We continue to engage on research to investigate the link between the steel plant and the health of the local communities, and are committed to participating in quality research to further understand this area of concern. 

ArcelorMittal Temirtau encourages transparency with our local communities, and holds several events and forums where community members can learn more about the plant and ask questions. We organise excursions for members of environmental clubs of the local schools, our specialists take part in round tables and meetings on environmental issues in the Akimat of the Karaganda region and Temirtau.

We welcome the multi-stakeholder environmental round table convened by the governor of Karaganda, which resulted in a comprehensive environmental plan for the area, including plans from local companies and government. 

We also publish an annual corporate responsibility report, in line with international sustainability reporting guidelines GRI.

Contact for further enquiries: [email protected]