CHAPTER 5
5.4. Safety and environmental protection
Events of 2015
- From 774.21 to 763.65 million m3 decreased the amount of water intaken.
- From 603.82 to 587.67 million m3 by volume of wastewater.
- The proportion of reused water decreased by 6.2 %.
5.4.1. Industrial safety
Ensuring a reliable energy supply and the safe operation of equipment and hydro-power engineering for the population and the environment is one of RusHydro’s key strategic objectives.
Approaches used to ensure energy supply reliability and the safety of equipment, buildings and structures are fixed in the provisions of RusHydro’s Technical Policy, which came into effect in 2011. The instrument used to implement the Technical Policy is the Production Programme which is developed based on the results of evaluating equipment condition, the forecasts for energy consumption in the regions and the water inflows of rivers, as well as industry standard requirements. The Programme’s activities are planned for the medium (6 years) and long-term (15 years).
To identify and analyse insurance risks at production assets, the Company conducts surveys (independent technical expert assessment), and introduces a system of key performance indicators (KPIs) and limits (control figures), including monitoring how the object can be protected in the event of natural disasters.
5.4.2. Ecological safety
The Company fulfills Russian legislative requirements in the field of environmental protection; participates in the performance of Russia’s obligations that arise from international conventions within the environmental protection sphere, as ratified by the Russian Federation; and aims to continually reduce its (negative) influence on the environment and to prevent environmental pollution.
The introduction of new techniques and technologies under the Comprehensive HPPs Modernisation Programme is carried out subject to the Company’s Environmental Policy objectives and principles, which reduces production’s environmental impact.
The Company supports the industry and international initiatives to reduce industrial load on the environment and the population, and to promote and establish environmental responsibility standards. The Company carries out compulsory compensatory measures to reduce the environmental load in zones impacted by the Company’s facilities:
- Reconstruction of existing equipment and new treatment facilities within the framework of the comprehensive reconstruction of HPP;
- Replacement of hydraulic units of HPP with modernized units, allowing to minimize the impact on aquatic biological resources, as they pass through hydraulic turbines tract; to eliminate the leakage of oil into the environment in the process of operation of turbine equipment;
- Replacement of oil-filled electrical equipment for equipment not containing oil (vacuum and gas-insulated);
- Reconstruction of gas-cleaning equipment;
- Implementation of the programme of switching RAO energy system of the East Group facilities from coal to gas;
- Installation of fish-protection equipment at HPP under construction;
- Reconstruction and repair of hydraulic structures to maintain the proper condition of water protection zones, conducting shore protection works;
- Reproduction of aquatic biological resources at the expense of compensation of harm;
- Voluntary action on populating water bodies with fish and improvement of natural areas and protected areas;
- Voluntary environmental programmes aimed at promotion of careful attitude to the nature (cooperation with nature reserves, national parks and other protected natural areas, as well as educational institutions and environmental organisations).
5.4.2.1. Water use
The RusHydro Group facilities are drawing water from surface sources, from underground sources (wells) and receives water through municipal water supply systems. 92% of the water intake of the Group falls on RAO Energy Systems of the East Group, this percentage has been stable over the past three years.
The intake of RAO Energy Systems of the East Group is carried out mainly from surface water (81 %), the rest of the Group RusHydro almost entirely (98 %) water intake from surface water bodies.
Total water withdrawal at Group RusHydro,
thousand m3
The structure of water
intake in 2015, %
Percentage and total
volume of reusable water
The structure of water intake in the Group RusHydro
(not including PJSC RAO Energy Systems of the East Group), 2015, %
5.4.2.2.Discharges
87 % of the wastewater discharge Group accounts for PJSC RusHydro RAO “Energy Systems of the East Group”, this percentage has been stable over the past 3 years. More than 50 % of wastewater discharges of RAO Energy Systems of the East Group normative clean, 35% are contaminated without treatment. Other companies of the Group in 2015 dropped more than 90 % of the standard pure water.
The total volume of wastewater discharges
to water bodies, thousand m3
The total volume of Disposals by the
receiving entity, thousand m3/year
The total volume of wastewater discharges
to water bodies, RAO Energy Systems of the East Group thousand m3
The total volume of wastewater discharges to water bodies, Group RusHydro (instead of RAO Energy Systems of the East Group), thousand m3