OREANDA-NEWS. December 13, 2012. At the meeting of the environmental public council of the government of the Irkutsk region, the participants expressed their approval for Irkutskenergo’s innovative environmental policy. At the meeting, the long-term environmental program prepared by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of the Irkutsk region was discussed. This program forms part of the implementation of the government policy on environmental protection. Evgeny Fedorov, the CEO of Irkutskenergo, presented the Proposals of JSC Irkutskenergo Concerning the Implementation of the Government’s Basic Policy on Russia’s Environmental Development until 2030 at the meeting of the public council.

One of JSC Irkutskenergo’s main goals is sustainable development, which includes preserving and improving the environment, enhancing environmental protection and ensuring that production is reliable and environmentally safe. JSC Irkutskenergo allocates about RUB 130 mln annually for environmental activities. The Company assesses its environmental management system for in compliance with the international ISO 14001 standard; measures are taken under the program concerning the processing and disposal of ash and slag at CHPPs; the equipment for monitoring air emissions and wastewater discharges is upgraded; the quality of groundwater in the areas affected by the operations of the CHPPs is continuously monitored. Energy efficiency measures are being implemented. A program for enhancing operational efficiency and introducing new environmentally safe technologies is in place. These include cofiring bark waste and coal at CHPP-7, CHPP-6 and U-ICHPP and using waste from coal preparation plants as fuel substitute.

Besides, Irkutskenergo is reconstructing hydroelectric units at the Irkutskaya, Ust-Ilimskaya and Bratskaya HPPs. The company has become one the first in Russia to generate revenue from selling carbon emission reduction units (ERU) under the Kyoto protocol (RUB 150 mln). The cash generated from selling ERUs has been allocated for repaying a new tranche under the agreement on purchasing another six rotor wheels for hydroelectric units at the Bratskaya HPP.

According to Evgeny Fedorov, “to reach the goals and fulfill the tasks set by the government policy on environmental development until 2030, it is necessary to establish a legal framework that would create the necessary conditions for businesses in order to define the optimal solutions for technical upgrades of production, resource conservation, improving environmental performance and innovative development quality, as well as enhancing the competitive strength of Russian companies.” Besides, it is necessary to develop and implement economic mechanisms stimulating the use of natural resources, regional programs aimed at reducing the negative environmental impact, encouraging the utilization of ash and slag. It is also necessary to identify the sources and methods of financing to enable the transition to regulations based on BAT (best available technology) that are to replace emission regulations.