Mining News -During the visit, head of MSC’s Environment Department Mohsen Sattari presented a detailed report on the company’s viewpoints and measures on the environmental front, its projects focusing on environmental health, water and energy, as well as the company’s environmental policies and goals. According to the correspondent of Steel Newsletter, the report drew the attention of the environment chief and the delegation accompanying him.
Mobarakeh Steel Company has invested as much as 350 billion tomans in a project to develop an urban wastewater and sewage collection network. The recycled wastewater is used along the company’s production lines, Hossein Modaresifar, who leads MSC’s Health, Safety and Environment Department, told reporters on the sidelines of the international event.
He further said Mobarakeh Steel Company has always stuck to two major approaches: boosting its environmental status and propping up the safety and health of its staff, adding the company has managed to cut water consumption substantially by employing efficient water treatment and recycling systems in the production process. “Undoubtedly, MSC’s water consumption pattern can serve as a good model for other organizations to follow.”
He went on to say, “When MSC was launched, under an agreement it struck with the Energy Ministry the company was allowed to withdraw 45 million cubic meters of water from the Zayandehrud River annually for every 2.4 million tons of steel it produced. Today the company has raised its production capacity to 7.2 million tons, but has fortunately reduced its water withdrawal volume to 25 million cubic meters per year. This has come on the back of expansion projects aimed at building an internal network of sewage systems and treatment facilities as well as optimal use of water.”
He said MSC views as valuable efforts to invest in projects to reduce waste and make optimal use of water resources. “Humans should keep in mind that we all live on the same planet and there is no way but observe environmental standards and protect natural resources. Failure to meet environmental requirements is likely to imperil the future of human generation.”
Asked about the progress of the project to collect and treat wastewater from nearby towns, Modaresifar said the project to construct a wastewater network and lay pipelines is going through its final stages and is 85 percent complete.
For his part, head of MSC’s Environment Department Mohsen Sattari said that on top of capacity building, diversification and product quality improvement, constant betterment of environmental conditions has been one of the major goals of the company. “Accordingly, Mobarakeh Steel Company has embarked on formulating an environmental management model in a bid to constantly improve its environmental performance.”
In light of the international environmental regulations and legal requirements on the one hand, and the analysis of the exiting environmental opportunities and challenges and review of the stakeholder expectations on the other, Mobarakeh Steel Company has tried to formulate environmental strategies and piece together an operational plan to materialize them in a bid to realize its domestic potential and pinpoint the areas capable of being improved, he said. “The end result is the improvement of the company’s environmental performance and ensuring the rights of stakeholders in line with the company’s social responsibilities.”
He said to that end Mobarakeh Steel Company has – since its launch – taken measures to implement the environmental management system. “MSC is Iran’s first big industrial complex to have secured an ISO 14001 (March 1998).”
He further said the company has taken other environmental measures in line with its social responsibilities, among them: establishment of a waste management system in the company; establishment of an environmental system and use of the wastewater treatment and recycling system; reduction of water and energy consumption; constant decrease of pollutants and replacement of substances harmful to the environment; slashing the volume of raw materials used; trying to maintain more than 1,600 hectares of green space in the company; reducing the volume of waste produced, sorting out and recycling it as much as possible; moving toward clean production and green economy; raising the awareness and capabilities of staff members; and finally, establishing cooperation with organizations, groups and oversight bodies in a bid to contribute to efforts to build a public culture and control the environment.
Mobarakeh Steel Company which views environmental requirements as a social responsibility has successfully obtained the ISO 50001 energy management standard certificate, he said. “In line with international approaches, the company has taken part in World Steel Association Climate Action Program since 2011 and has secured a certificate for its participation in the program as well as an accolade.
“On top of that, the company is implementing other comprehensive plans to reduce water and energy consumption in cooperation with scientific and research centers at home and abroad,” he added.
In conclusion, Sattari said MSC has been given the top prize of the European Association for Green Management (EAGM) and the International Energy Globe Award of the World Energy Foundation, adding the company has also been included in the assessment process of the EFQM Global Excellence Award along with other well-known companies in the world.