In the framework of the St. Petersburg Economic Forum (SPIEF) 2021, Rosterminalugol and Severstal have signed an agreement on supply of wind/dust protection screens and metal frames for construction of the coal storage facility at the dedicated coal terminal in the port of Ust-Luga, IAA PortNews correspondent reports from the Forum.
The structure will have a total length of almost 2 kilometers and will be over 20 meters high. Rosterminalugol will thus become the first sea terminal in the Baltic region equipped with such facilities. The construction works are to be completed by the end of 2021.
“Amid the contemporary challenges, environmental sustainability is the key focus of companies in the coal industry, - said Irina Olkhovskaya, Director for Port and Rail Projects of Ural Mining and Metallurgical Company (UMMC). – Rosterminalugol, the largest dedicated coal terminal in Russia’s European part, will be the first stevedore in the Baltic region to implement such an ambitious environmental project”.
Installation of the wind/dust protection screens is yet another phase of the company’s long-term comprehensive programme aimed at ensuring environmental safety. In 2021, investments into the programme will exceed RUB 1 billion.
Alexander Shevelev, CEO of Severstal, commented: “Severstal is striving to hold leadership in sustainable development. For us that means a focus on the environment and well-being in the presence regions of both our company and our clients and partners. Supply of wind/dust protection package facilities is a new area for us and we see high prospects of it as both the state and the business are increasingly focused on environment safety of port infrastructure and adjacent territories. Cooperation with UMMC is a significant phase of this development for Severstal”.
When asked by IAA PortNews about the reasonability of that cost intensive ecological project in the port of Ust-Luga with no residential places around, Irina Olkhovskaya said: “We believe that the current framework of the global environment protection, Rosterminalugol, as a flagship of coal handling on the Baltic Sea, should meet all international ecological standards. Environmental protection is one of the key technological components of a modern terminal”.
Rosterminalugol JSC (port Ust-Luga, Leningrad Region) is the largest dedicated coal terminal in the North-West region of Russia. The terminal built with the application of the innovative technologies is intended to supply Russian coal produced in Kuzbass and other coal fields to the customers in Europe, Africa, Middle East and Latin America. In 2020, the terminal handled 26.5 million tonnes of coal (+8.2%, year-on-year).
As of today, the terminal accounts for 14% Russia’s seaborne coal exports and for about 60% of coal ports’ throughput in the Baltic Basin. Over 70% of cargo is delivered to the port by long trains.
Rosterminalugol features the most advanced equipment including covered railcar dumpers and heaters, stackers and reclaimers, covered container lines and transfer stations, transborders and shiploading machines.
The terminal’s compliance with both Russian and international requirements on environmental risk management is confirmed by ISO 14001:2015 certificate “Environmental Management System: Requirements and Application Guide.” Environmental safety at the terminal is ensured by the systems of aspiration, dust suppression, sprinkling, snow generation, and water treatment. Further modernization of the terminal is underway.
The terminal features covered stations for unloading and transfer of coal, conveyor equipment, rotary car dumpers, shiploaders and the second-to-none system of multi-stage magnetic coal separation.