On December 6, 2013, the Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources of Ukraine, Oleg Proskuryakov, paid a working visit to JSC "Zaporizhstal" to review the implementation of projects under the Tripartite Agreement involving JSC "Zaporizhstal", the Zaporozhye Regional Council, and the Ministry of Environment.
During the visit, Oleg Proskuryakov became familiar with the construction of a large-scale environmental project—the complex hydrochloric acid pickling cold rolling shop №1 at JSC "Zaporizhstal". The construction of this new pickling line is a vital aspect of the modernization efforts of the plant, in line with the technological development strategy of the Metinvest Group. The investment in the construction project for the new line is estimated to be around 730 million UAH.
The General Director of "Zaporizhstal", Rostyslav Shurma, informed the Minister about the comprehensive modernization of production facilities that incorporate an environmental focus. He stated, "After the commissioning of the continuous pickling line №4, we will have a closed process that does not allow for any discharge of water. Consequently, we anticipate a reduction in sulfuric acid vapor emissions by 83%. It is equally important that the construction of this unit and the installation of hydrochloric acid regeneration will completely eliminate the discharge of industrial water into the Dnepr River," said Rostyslav Shurma.
During his visit, the Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources of Ukraine acknowledged the extensive modernization efforts of the Metinvest Group production enterprises: "The tripartite agreement is being executed in a sequential manner. I would like to thank the investors for not only enhancing production efficiency but also prioritizing the environmental components of each new project. This is extremely important for an industrial region. For instance, at JSC 'Zaporizhstal', I witnessed how socially and environmentally responsible investors can be," stated Oleg Proskuryakov.
It is noteworthy that since August 2012, significant investment projects aimed at enhancing the environmental aspects have already been implemented at JSC "Zaporizhstal". In May 2013, the plant commissioned sinter machine №1, which features high-tech gas cleaning equipment (with an investment of approximately 240 million USD). Additionally, in October 2013, JSC "Zaporizhstal" signed a contract for the construction of a gas treatment unit for the number 2 sintering machine, with a project budget of about 80 million USD. Starting from November 2013, JSC "Zaporizhstal" has been undertaking a large-scale reconstruction of blast furnace №4, incorporating exhaust systems and a casthouse along with the assembling of a furnace, with an estimated investment of about 600 million UAH.