In the first half of 2018, AO Sea Port of Saint-Petersburg (SP SPb, a company of UCL Holding) allocated RUB 16.1 million for environment protection activities, 9% more than in the same period of the previous year. The port attributes the growth of expenses to increased financing of works on modernization of environmental facilities, monitoring of air, waste and natural waters quality.
From the beginning of the year, investments into modernization of environmental facilities totaled RUB 6.5 million, up 24%, year-on-year. The bulk of allocations was spent for water disposal system. The port upgraded certain sections of the sewage network and installed fixed metering stations at some wastewater outlets, that has improved accuracy of volume measurements.
As part of its programme on preservation of water resources the company increased financing of activities on control of coastal zone management and wastewater quality by 9% to RUB 805,000.
The port also boosted its expenses for monitoring of compliance with air quality standards to RUB 170,000 (up more than 4-fold). In the reporting period, the company doubled the frequency of measuring air samples taken at the border of the sanitary protection zone. Personnel of the company’s accredited laboratory perform monthly monitoring of air through measuring the content of more than 16 substances. The results have confirmed the compliance of air quality with the standard.
In the beginning of the year, SP SPb launched the project on separate waste collection for further mitigation of the company’s environmental impact. In general, production process optimization and equipment upgrading has let reduce the company’s waste by 30% over the 5-year period.
AO Sea Port of Saint-Petersburg (a company of UCL Port – stevedoring division of the International Transportation Group UCL Holding) is the largest operator, rendering services on handling of all types of dry cargoes at Big Port St. Petersburg. It operates modern multipurpose specialized terminals for handling of general and bulk cargoes and specialized terminals for ro-ro cargoes and containers. In 2017, SP SPb handled 6.9 million tonnes of cargo.