Reclamation and landscaping: BSC announced the new life of the “white seas” in Sterlitamak

The first stage of work will be completed by 2033

The two largest sections of the “white seas” – soda production sludge reservoirs – in Sterlitamak will be drained by 2033. This was reported in the press service of the Bashkir Soda Company (BSK). After the work is completed, reclamation and landscaping will begin at these facilities.

The environmental safety of the inhabitants of Sterlitamak and the entire region (Republic of Bashkortostan. – Note) is a priority for the company. The White Seas reclamation project is one of the eco-initiatives that should improve the state of the environment in the republic.

Recall that the enterprise for the production of caustic soda was launched in Sterlitamak in the middle of the last century. Despite the economic benefits from the emergence of such a chemical giant as BSC, there were some negative aspects. So, the sludge from soda production began to accumulate in certain areas, which were nicknamed “white seas” for their color. At the moment, such seas occupy an area of ​​462 hectares.

To begin the reclamation of sites, it was necessary to seriously change the production technology. The fact is that the production of soda in the world is carried out using the ammonia method. As part of the ammonia technology, in the process of soda production, about 10 cubic meters of distilling liquid are formed per 1 ton of product. Until recently, this liquid was directed to the “white seas”.

BSC scientists were able to develop a new technology that would allow excluding the first two compartments of the “White Seas” with a total area of ​​230 hectares from the technological process. The new technology involves the separation of distillery liquid into solid and liquid fractions. A mineral product of soda production is produced from the solid part of the waste, and the clarified part of the distillation liquid is used in the production of calcium chloride.

“The focus of our special attention today is the so-called white seas. At the same time, let’s not forget that the problem has been created for seven decades. Now about 60 million tons of distillate liquid have been accumulated in the sludge reservoirs. And after all, we were the first in Russia to start using the technology of distillation liquid separation into solid and liquid fractions with their subsequent use. Today we are building up capacities,” commented Eduard Davydov, head of BSC.

He added that half of the “White Sea” would be drained, covered with sand and planted with trees.

“The introduction of waste-free production is a reality that we have created,” emphasizes Eduard Davydov. – We process solid waste into demanded products and use the world’s best technological solutions for the production of soda ash using “green technology”.

It should be noted that a large-scale environmental development program is also provided for at the Berezniki Soda Plant (BSZ), located in the Perm Territory. In June of this year, the management of the BSZ signed an agreement on cooperation with the government of the region in the field of environmental protection. As part of the document, a joint program with the regional government will be developed in the field of atmospheric air protection, which will include measures to install modern gas cleaning equipment, equipping with control systems, and switching to new technologies.

The issue of industrial waste disposal for the region has always been one of the most acute: after all, dozens of large and medium-sized oil and chemical enterprises operate in Bashkiria, Alexander Veselov, chairman of the Union of Ecologists of Bashkortostan, head of the Waste Management Association, told reporters earlier. The modernization of BSC production allows using modern “green technologies”, creating waste-free production and using the best world practices in the production of soda ash. But the main thing is to build an environmental policy in such a way as to minimize the impact on the environment.