OREANDA-NEWS. May 05, 2014. A presentation of a joint project on environmental protection between Russian Railways and the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) was held in Moscow.

The event was attended by Valentin Gapanovich, Senior Vice President at Russian Railways, Sergei Korotkov, Director of the Centre for International Industrial Cooperation at UNIDO in the Russian Federation, Klaus Tirkko, Director of the Department of the Stockholm Convention of the Environmental Management Branch at UNIDO, Viktor Zagrekov, Deputy Director of the Department of International Organisations at Russia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Irina Fominikh, Deputy Director of the Department of International Cooperation at the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of the Russian Federation and Natalia Sokolova, Head of the Directorate of the State Environmental Supervision at the Federal Supervisory Natural Resources Management Service, as well as deputies from the State Duma, the Federal Supervisory Natural Resources Management Service, business partners and others.

During the presentation, it was noted that at the moment, the problem of dealing with substances and materials containing persistent organic pollutants (POPs) is one of the most pressing environmental issues worldwide.

The problem also extends to Russia's railways: dielectric fluids in high-voltage capacitor and transformer equipment are to a significant degree saturated with additives based on polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). At the end of operation, oils and lubricants must either be cleaned of toxic additives to prevent pollution or be neutralised.

A solution to this problem was the basis of the project "Environmentally Sound Management and the Final Disposal of Equipment and Materials Containing PCBs at Companies Belonging to Russian Railways and other owners of PCBs", which is being implemented with the support of the Global Environmental Foundation under the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants, which was ratified by Russia on 17 August 2011.

According to Valentin Gapanovich, Russian Railways has a large number of transformers that were manufactured before 1988 and which use PCBs.

"Using the best international experience, we now have the opportunity to implement a project to eliminate hazardous persistent organic pollutants and apply the most advanced technologies," said the Senior Vice President of Russian Railways.

According to Klaus Tirkko, the disposal of PCBs, which pose a threat to living organisms, is a priority in many countries.

"UNIDO has years of experience in the environmentally sound management of PCBs and we work with about 20 countries to provide technical assistance. In most cases, joint programmes provide for the introduction of technologies which enable this activity to be carried out after project completion as well," said Klaus Tirkko.

On 23 October 2013, Russian Railways and UNIDO signed an agreement on mutual understanding and cooperation which aims to improve the environmental situation, develop environmental technologies and environmentally cleaner production and create the preconditions for their implementation and improvement.

In preparing the project, all the interested parties were involved: representatives of federal and regional legislative and executive authorities, international experts from UNIDO and experts from Russian Railways who made a careful study of the experience and know-how of the world's leading companies. A significant role in advancing this project was played by UNIDO's representative office in Moscow.

In order to implement this project, Russian Railways will carry out an inventory and collect information on the volumes, working lifetime and main characteristics of the equipment used at Russian Railways which uses substances containing persistent organic pollutants.

In addition, it is also envisaged that accredited laboratory centres to analyse PCBs will be set up and technical capacity to eliminate equipment containing PCBs and oils established in order to enable the neutralisation of equipment contaminated by POPs in accordance with the standards and procedures specified in the Stockholm Convention.

Russia's Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment is also planning to harmonise Russian legislation in accordance with the requirements of the Stockholm Convention. There are in addition plans to set up mobile equipment for the treatment and disposal of waste.

The project is planned to run for 4.5 years and will involve making an inventory of 50,000 transformers and neutralising or destroying some 3,800 tons of contaminated substances.

Russian Railways will be investing USD30 million in the project, including about USD11 million in kind in the shape of two existing plants for the disposal of hazardous waste: one at Tagul station on East Siberian Railways and a second at the Scientific and Production Centre for Environmental Protection in Yaroslavl. The Company will also be contributing laboratory facilities.

Russia will be spending a total USD 40.4 million on the project, including contributions of USD 7.4 million from the Global Environmental Foundation, USD 2 million from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and USD 1 million from Ulyanovsk region.

This is a demonstration project whose results will be the basis for the dissemination of the experience and lessons learned to the enterprises of other industries where equipment containing PCBs is in operation.