Interpipe Steel receives online permit for waste management operations

Interpipe Steel, an electric arc furnace complex that is part of Interpipe, a global producer of steel pipes and railway products, has received an online permit for waste management operations. This is stated in the company’s press release.

This is the first time that such a permit has been issued in the Ukrainian steel industry. It is a prerequisite for the transition to a new waste management system as part of the national reform, which is Ukraine’s next step towards EU membership.

As part of an online training provided by the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources of Ukraine, Interpipe Steel went through the entire process of obtaining a permit on the new EcoSystem online platform. By its own example, the company has shown that it is now possible to obtain a permit for waste management operations conveniently and quickly in a digital format.

«Interpipe continues to demonstrate leadership in decarbonization and integration with environmental European standards in the steel industry. Despite the fact that the Ukrainian government has given businesses time to adapt to the new working conditions as part of the waste management reform, Interpipe Steel decided to collect the necessary documents and obtain this online permit. Thus, we have confirmed that the plant meets the established requirements, has the necessary material and technical base and qualified personnel, and its activities do not harm people and the environment,» comments Vladyslav Varnavskyi, Interpipe’s Director of Environmental and Industrial Safety.

The Law of Ukraine «On Waste Management» came into force on July 9, 2023. On December 19, a Cabinet of Ministers resolution came into force, which defines the procedure for issuing, refusing to issue, and revoking a permit for waste treatment operations.

According to the law, business entities that intend to or carry out waste treatment operations must obtain permits for such operations. Issuance, refusal to issue, and revocation of permits is carried out exclusively in electronic form through the waste management information system, which is a functional module of the Unified Environmental Platform EcoSystem.

Interpipe became one of the first companies in Ukraine to obtain an online permit for waste management operations. Thanks to sustainable investments in the modernization and decarbonization of its facilities, the company has one of the best emissions performance indicators in the world. In particular, in 2020, direct CO2 emissions per ton of steel amounted to about 200 kg.

Interpipe Steel is the largest electric arc furnace complex producing round steel billets in Eastern Europe. The company operates in a vertical integration with other Interpipe Group companies, supplying billets to pipe and wheel production. Green metallurgy technologies were used in the construction: a closed-loop water supply system, a modern gas removal and gas purification system, and a noise insulation system.