MMK receives ECOTECH LEADER environmental technology award

Magnitogorsk Iron and Steel Works (MMK) became the recipient of the 2026 ECOTECH LEADER national award in the Best Corporate Environmental Programme category. The award was presented at a ceremony held at the Mariinsky Palace in St Petersburg.
MMK was recognised for successfully carrying out its comprehensive environmental programme, which is focused on delivering significant improvements to the air quality in Magnitogorsk. Every initiative aimed at reducing the Company's environmental impact is part of the federal Clean Air project. Although MMK is the city's largest industrial enterprise, it accounts for no more than 42 per cent of total atmospheric emissions.
In 2025, MMK reduced its gross emissions by 33% (65.7 thousand tonnes) and its specific emissions by 17.6% (2.8 kg per tonne of steel) compared with 2017. Pollutant concentrations at the boundary of the plant's sanitary protection zone declined by 23% compared with the previous year. The Comprehensive Air Quality Index for Magnitogorsk stood at 3.8 in 2025, which corresponds to a low level of air pollution comparable to that of St Petersburg and Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky.
MMK's coke plant No. 12, which reached its design capacity in 2025, played a major role in reducing the Company's environmental impact. The project enabled MMK to decommission obsolete coke batterie and reduce atmospheric emissions by 11.3 thousand tonnes annually. The dry blast furnace slag cooling facility also reached its design capacity in 2025, reducing hydrogen sulphide emissions by 90%. During the year, MMK commissioned five dust suppression systems for its sinter mix preparation shop and blast furnace operations, with each system achieving dust suppression efficiency of more than 80%.
In 2025, MMK completed the technical stage of reclamation in Mount Magnitnaya's Western Quarry, covering 11.3 hectares. More than 81 hectares, or 52% of the quarry's total area, have now been reclaimed.
Over the 10 years since the launch of MMK's Clean City strategic initiative, the Company has invested RUB 127 billion in environmental protection measures. MMK's long-term development strategy sets clear environmental targets, with the key objective of reducing emissions by 40% from 2024 levels by 2035.
The ECOTECH LEADER national award recognises outstanding projects and solutions that reduce environmental impact, incorporate energy- and resource-efficient technologies, promote green management practices, and enhance corporate environmental responsibility. More than 200 applications were submitted for the 2026 competition.