The Cycle of Water and Steel. Mission Possible

Circular Economy in Metallurgy: From Theory to Practice

The transition to a circular economy is not just an environmental trend, but a necessity for large industrial enterprises. During the webinar, Renata Efremova, a representative of Severstal, shares the experience of the Cherepovets Steel Mill in implementing water and waste recycling technologies. The speaker explains how the enterprise managed to achieve a 99.3% waste recycling rate and a 98.43% water return rate, despite colossal consumption volumes — over 3 billion cubic meters of water per year.

Water Recycling: Discharge Reduction and Phytoremediation

Using her company as an example, the speaker demonstrates the evolution of water use: since 1994, the number of wastewater discharge points has decreased from nine to two. Today, the enterprise's strategy is aimed not at the complete elimination of discharges (which is technologically impossible), but at reducing the concentration of pollutants. To achieve this, both traditional methods (filtration, reagent treatment) and innovative approaches are applied.

Special attention in the presentation is given to phytoremediation. At four of the company's sites, special plants are used that absorb heavy metals and nitrogen group substances. These native plants effectively purify the water, and when they die off, they do not cause secondary pollution, creating a natural recycling cycle.

Biotesting and Biodiversity

For an objective assessment of the environmental impact, the company collaborates with the Institute of Biology of Inland Waters of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Annual biotesting of water at discharge points is conducted based on phyto- and zooplankton indicators, as well as fish health. The speaker notes that this approach provides a more realistic picture than simple compliance with standards. The result of this work was the return of the nase fish to the Rybinsk Reservoir, which had been absent there for 10 years.

Waste Recycling: From Slags to Oil Sludges

The presentation details the approach to waste management. The enterprise processes steelmaking and blast furnace slags, returns scrap to production through shredder installations, and utilizes dust, scale, and zinc-containing sludge. The waste finds application in road construction and the production of backfill mixtures. In addition, projects for the reclamation of old oil sludge storage facilities are being implemented.

What you will learn from this webinar:

• How to organize a closed-loop water consumption cycle at a large industrial enterprise?
• What are the advantages of phytoremediation and how does it work in cold climates?
• Why is biotesting of water bodies more effective than standard compliance monitoring?
• What technologies allow recycling over 99% of industrial waste?
• How to properly dispose of specific metallurgical production waste?