3.3.3 Environment Protection

OAOOpen Joint-Stock Company IDGCInterregional Distribution Grid Company of Urals, being one of the largest distribution grid companies of Russia, is interested in environment safety and compliance of its operations with environmental regulations. Company’s facilities (power lines, substations, production sites) have minor impacts on the environment. The Company’s operations include such environmental impacts, as waste generation, physical effect, air contamination (minimal emissions); the Company has no wastewater discharges to surface water bodies.

OAOOpen Joint-Stock Company IDGCInterregional Distribution Grid Company of Urals acceded to the Environmental Policy of the Energy Sector and took obligations to follow its statements in its operations. The focus of the Environmental Policy is to preserve a benevolent environment for current and future generations. Key directions of the Environmental Policy are:

• Compliance with domestic and international environmental legislation;
• Priority of prevention of adverse environmental impact over liquidation of adverse environmental consequences;
• Energy-saving and energy efficiency activities;
• Application of best-in-class affordable technologies and innovations, ensuring compliance with environmental requirements and minimization of adverse environmental impact;
• Preservation of biodiversity and rehabilitation of disturbed soils;
• Stage-by-stage decommissioning of PCBpolychlorinated biphenyl-bearing and oil-filled equipment and its replacement with environmentally-friendly one;
• Development and improvement of the Company’s Environment Management System;
• Improvement of production environmental control system;
• Upgrading of environmental skills for maintenance and repairs teams;

OAOOpen Joint-Stock Company IDGCInterregional Distribution Grid Company of Urals has 192 facilities with an adverse impact on the environment, incl. 116 III category facilities and 76 IV category facilities. OAOOpen Joint-Stock Company IDGCInterregional Distribution Grid Company of Urals has a license for collection, transportation, processing, utilization, deactivation, dumping of hazard Class I-IV waste (in terms of transportation of hazard Class I-IV waste)^[30]. The Company has 10 extraction licenses and extracts groundwater at 11 wells. In compliance with the 2018-2024 schedule on decommissioning and disposal of PCBpolychlorinated biphenyl-bearing equipment, we passed no PCBpolychlorinated biphenyl-bearing equipment for disposal during 2022. We have only 2,426 elements of static capacitors left on the “Mikhailovskaya” substation (out of 8,666 static capacitors) after passing 6,240 static capacitors for disposal in 2015-2019. Replacement of 2,426 elements of static capacitors is covered by the investment program, passing for disposal is scheduled in 2023-2024.

In 2022, the Company conducted activities to preserve biodiversity and land. 5,177 bird-protection devices were mounted on 6-35kV power lines in the Perm, Sverdlovsk and Chelyabinsk regions. The bird-protection devices were mounted on power lines located near water reservoirs, bird migration routes and nature reserves. During the reported period, we mounted such devices near the Donguzlovsky state biospheric reserve in the Chelyabinsk region. We also conducted reforestation activities near commissioned grid facilities of Permenergo’s Central Electric Grids (total area – 1.6 ha).

In 2022, the Company arranged a set of trainings for the employees: 64 directors and specialists underwent training on environment protection and ecological security, 80 employees were trained to process hazard Class I-IV waste.

Air protection activities

The primary air contamination sources are motor vehicles (motor vehicle storage shed, open air or indoor car parks), machine tool use area, welding stations and workshops. All contamination sources have a minor negative impact on the environment. Under the environment control programs the Company conducts laboratory and instrumental surveys of stationary waste resources, controls the quality of air on the boundary of sanitary protection zones, and prepares survey protocols every year.

In 2022, the Company conducted laboratory survey of air, impact of physical factors on 108 sites. Survey protocols were received. Survey showed that emissions are within the limits. Our production sites do not produce over-the-limits noise, therefore, no noise barriers are required. The Company does not use purification equipment. The volume of air pollutant emissions in 2022 decreased by 12% due to the closure of woodwork units, paint shops, transport renewal and air contamination sources (after inventory procedures).

Protection and sustainable use of water resources

The Company concludes contracts on water supply and disposal on time, conducts administrative procedures, improves performance discipline in terms of energy saving, conducts laboratory surveys of quality of ground water, oversees compliance with license agreements.

All requirements of license agreements are complied with on time and in full. We conducted laboratory surveys of ground water quality. A 1% decrease of water consumption and wastewater disposal in 2022, in comparison to 2021, was influenced by water saving measures in office and production buildings.

Conservation of land

Pursuant to the Regulations^[31], in compliance with the approved annual schedule, the Company conducts production environmental control. In 2022, all scheduled inspections were conducted, 213 sites in branches and production departments were inspected. 95% of activities to eliminate exposed violations were planned and conducted in 2022, the rest planned for production programs in future periods.

Wastes from the Company’s operations are stored at specially equipped waste accumulation locations (containers, reservoirs, sites located on impervious surface), easily accessible for lifting devices and motor vehicles. Waste accumulation sites are marked and located in line with approved schemes. Memos on waste accumulation sites are placed on stands. Wastes are timely handled for utilization, decontamination, allocation under relevant contracts to prevent over-accumulation of waste on production sites. Employees conduct visual checks of waste accumulation locations and compliance with laws. In 2022, the Company arranged 2 sites for containers for solid municipal waste, 1 site for oil waste, 1 site for  ferrous metals, arranged a waste paper accumulation site, acquired 102 containers for oily rags, solid municipal waste, factory waster, oil waste, 33 demercurization sets, 44 spill pans for oil waste, 5 canvas covers to protect wastes from precipitation, 1080 liters of Trans-neft decontaminant, 5,18 tons of absorbent to liquidate possible oil product splashes, 300 sorbing napkins. All the measures reduce adverse impact on land.

We conducted reforestation activities near commissioned grid facilities of Permenergo’s Central Electric Grids (total area – 1.6 ha). We also arranged sanitation and beautification of territories near its buildings (branches, PDproduction departmentZ), substations, power masts and other constructions.