NIBULON is a vertically integrated Ukrainian company and a leader in the domestic agrarian market. It is one of the largest agricultural commodity producers, investors, and exporters. On December 5, 2021, the company will celebrate its 30th anniversary. Established in 1991, when Ukraine declared independence, NIBULON, together with the country, continues to improve and to become stronger.NIBULON implements its sustainable development projects using the UN principles covering environmental issues. Since NIBULON was established, the company has been applying its environmentally friendly approach to solving environmental issues, implementing initiatives to improve environmental responsibility, and promoting the development and dissemination of environmentally friendly technologies. The company implements its environmental standard aiming to popularize an environmentally friendly and responsible business. On June 5, people celebrated the World Environment Day designated by the UN General Assembly in 1972, which is known as an Ecologist Day in Ukraine.As part of a special information project prepared by our edition, we posted an interview with Alla Izmesteva, a head of NIBULON’s environmental protection department. – Mrs Alla Izmesteva, today NIBULON has about fifty branches in 13 regions across Ukraine. These facilities all have some impact on the environment. Based on the company’s annual reports, NIBULON tries to minimize this impact. To what extent do you manage to do this? – Human activities affect the environment. The lower the impact is, the better it is for nature and people. We do much to minimize this impact. Today NIBULON is an excellent example of a socially responsible business based on the principles of social fairness, environmental expediency, and preservation.The key principles in the company’s strategy are to use resources efficiently, to use environmentally friendly and energy-saving technologies, to create high-quality and environmentally friendly products, to handle waste, meeting environmental standards, to conduct environmental conservation measures, etc. In its diverse activities, NIBULON persistently implements its own environmental standard aiming to promote an environmentally friendly and responsible business. Consequently, the company created an environmental protection department with highly qualified specialists studying the world’s best scientific achievements in the field of environmental preservation and implementing them in the company’s activities. Thus, the company allocates considerable financial resources to preserve the environment. NIBULON’s environmental expenditure comprised UAH 300 million during the last three years (2016 – UAH 44.51 million; 2017 – UAH 72.359 million; 2018 – UAH 23.826 million; 2019 – UAH 44.946 million; 2020 – UAH 45.042 million).NIBULON, as an open and transparent company, informs society about its environmental initiatives and calls upon other companies to follow its example. The company annually prepares social reports announcing its environmental preservation achievements and posts them on its corporate website.– Please tell us about NIBULON’s environmental standard. How long has it been implemented and what activities does it cover? – NIBULON’s environmental standard is a mandatory component in making any decision; whether it is the implementation of technologies or new production, the procurement of equipment and expendable materials or the rendering of services, etc. The key priorities are to minimize the impact on the environment, to ensure environmental safety, and to use energy-saving technologies as well as tools. The environmental standard applies to the activities of both NIBULON and its contractors connected with NIBULON by the respective agreement obligations. The environmental criteria are increased annually, following the world’s best achievements and the requirements of national and European legislation.– Air pollution is a key problem in Ukraine. The agro-industrial sector causes less damage to the environment than chemical factories or mining and processing facilities, though it enters the top three sectors that must significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions in compliance with the European green course. What practical step is the company taking in this direction? – As of today, the demand for exports of agricultural commodities used for further processing to biofuel (rapeseed used for biodiesel production, corn for bioethanol production) from Ukraine to EU countries is increased. The requirements to reduce greenhouse gas emissions during biofuel production, established by the Directive №2009/28/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council “On the Promotion of the Use of Energy from Renewable Sources”, are applied to the raw material suppliers as well. Please note that the products with the lowest greenhouse emission levels are in great demand. NIBULON successfully implements complex measures to minimize greenhouse gas emissions. By developing its infrastructure and building its new facilities, NIBULON uses modern technologies to protect the environment, especially to protect air from emissions, including greenhouse gas emissions. Firstly, the company minimizes and localizes grain dust emissions at its elevator facilities by using a closed technology to receive, transport and process grain cargoes (drying, cleaning) as well as by removing dust from the transshipment units thought the air pipes systems (aspiration systems) with further treatment before it is released into the atmosphere. The company purchases and installs high-capacity dust treatment equipment produced by the world’s leading manufacturers, such as Simatek, Cimbria Unigrain (Denmark), Schmidt-Seeger, NEUERO (Germany), Telestak (Great Britain) to achieve a positive effect from this technology. This enables the company to reduce dust concentration levels from 6,000 mg/m3 to 20 mg/m3 before being released into the atmosphere, whereas the permissible level in Ukraine is 50 mg/m3 . In addition, the company constantly plants trees and bushes at its sites and increases the volumes of cargo transported by water, which is the most environmentally friendly mode of transport.The main potential sources of greenhouse gas emissions are from the application of mineral and organic fertilizers as well as fuel burnt by the agricultural machinery when growing agricultural raw materials. To minimize emissions, the company implements its complex approach. It researches soil fertility to apply fertilizers, uses efficient soil processing technologies (deep tillage), and applies stubble biodestructor. This enables the company to reduce the volumes of mineral fertilizers applied, to constantly renew agricultural machinery fleet and to control its rational use (via GPS systems). It also efficiently organizes the movement of machinery between its fields, uses EURO-5 fuel, improves personnel skills at its production branches, and uses software to apply fertilizers and plant protection means accurately as well as to use fuel efficiently. The company’s truck fleet comprises 60 new trucks, namely Mercedes (Germany), Scania (Sweden) and Volvo (Belgium and Sweden), equipped with a SCR system to spay AdBlue® liquid (a 32,5% solution of urea and purified water) in the exhaust pipes, thereby reducing the nitrogen oxygen level (NOx) in the exhaust gases of the engines.The company has managed to achieve high results since 2009 by implementing its large-scale investment program to revive the Dnipro and the Southern Buh as transport arteries of Ukraine. In addition to obvious advantages for logistics and production organization, the program has an important economic and social value for both local citizens and for the development of Ukraine as a whole. The redirection of cargo from road to river will reduce traffic load on highways, thereby preserving their condition and reducing expenses for road repairs as well as the anthropogenic impact on the environment caused by trucks and improving air quality in settlements. Five years have passed since 2016 when NIBULON revived navigation along the Southern Buh, and today we have achieved high results. The company has transported almost 3 million tons of cargoes; thus, the equivalent of about 125 thousand trucks have been removed from the Р06 Ulianivka-Mykolaiv highway in Mykolaiv region, thereby reducing fuel combustion product emissions by 14.95 thousand tons, of which greenhouse gas emissions comprise 13.747 thousand tons in terms of CO2 equivalent. Consequently, air quality has been improved in Voznesensk and Nova Odesa towns located along the P06 highway; thus, every citizen inhales 64.8 kg less pollutants every year. This positive result is achieved at the sites where the company’s facilities operate. Since it commenced operations, the company has transported 22.6 million tons of various cargoes, thereby removing the equivalent of about 950 thousand trucks from Ukrainian highways. The international community has highly appreciated this unique and useful initiative. The company won the bronze award under the “Environmental and social innovations” category from the EBRD. – Unfortunately, Ukraine is ranked in 125th place in terms of potable water reserves, and potable water supply for each Ukrainian is 2.5-3 times lower than for a European. The water quality leaves much to be desired. What is the company’s attitude towards the problem of water quality and scarcity? What practical steps is the company taking to prevent water scarcity?– Water consumption at our production branches is mostly autonomous, being drawn from groundwater intake points. NIBULON has almost 50 water wells. The groundwater intake represents more than 85% of the company’s total water intake. Thus, the company’s newly built Zelenodolska branch uses water from the Dnipro. It is the only facility where drinking and utility needs are satisfied in this way. The company used surface water intake only for technical needs.NIBULON applies rational water use principles to maintain water pipelines and equipment in proper order, as well as to accurately record water use with appropriate measurement methods. All water supply resources are protected against pollution by using both a water intake structure and complying with legal requirements in the sanitary protection zones, including fencing these sites to prevent unauthorized access.Considering that NIBULON is engaged in agricultural activities, its facilities are located in the villages. Thus, the return water discharge infrastructure is absent at the branches. Consequently, the branches have local sewage systems equipped with water treatment facilities. NIBULON uses European technology to clean domestic sewage water by performing complete biological cleaning with a membrane ultrafiltration method. Rainwater, melt water, and wash water are gathered and cleansed of oil products. The quality of treatment means that the company can discharge treated return water into the pond or use it for technical needs (irrigation, road cleaning, etc.)The company looks after its employees’ health by providing them with high-quality water. NIBULON has installed and is now using 48 units of water treatment equipment chosen according to the quality of water supplied.NIBULON is a socially responsible company investing considerable financial resources to develop infrastructure in the regions where its facilities operate. NIBULON annually allocates money to develop social infrastructure in regions, invests tens millions of hryvnias in medical equipment, road repairs, street lighting, educational and cultural projects in villages and cities.The renovation of water supply systems and wells is one of the important elements of our social programs implemented in villages. During the period from 2016 to 2021, the company has repaired and maintained water wells in 6 village communities, investing more than UAH 11 million. The company provides the villagers annually with 100 thousand cubic meters of high-quality water free of charge, paying the state charges for water used. The company has repaired a water supply system in Lidiivka village (Domanivka district, Mykolaiv region). Thus, the company has installed 7.78 km of polythene pipes and mounted water pipelines and water counters in 136 village yards. The company has reconstructed a water supply system of 7.96 km in Marianske village (Apostolove district, Dnipropetrovsk region), thereby improving water quality by installing water treatment systems and replacing asbestos pipes with polythene ones. NIBULON has installed water treatment equipment with the capacity of 1.0 m3 per hour in Shyroke village (Snihurivka district, Mykolaiv region) where groundwater has a high level of mineralization, which was influencing negatively people’s health. Every year more than 300 m3 of high-quality water is supplied to the villagers free of charge.– We are interested in the treatment facilities in Bilenke village (Zaporizhzhia region) during the construction of the Khortysia branch river terminal. Was it NIBULON’s initiative and how much did it cost? – On April 7, 2017, NIBULON officially opened sewage treatment facilities with a capacity of 2,000 m3 per day, built and reconstructed at the company’s expense. This was a historical event for the whole village because people have waited for this important object of social infrastructure for more than 20 years. The construction of sewage treatment facilities had been in progress since 1992 in Bilenke village, when the “Station of biological sewage water treatment with a capacity of 1,000 m3 per hour” project was developed. Considering that the project had not been implemented by 2002 and had become outdated, the Zaporizhdiprovodgosp DRPVI corrected project designs to improve the technological scheme of treatment by the order of the Capital Construction Department of Zaporizhzhia Regional State Administration. The project was corrected three times during its construction (2005, 2011 and 2014). Thus, the facility took 10 years to be constructed (2003-2013), but it was not put into operation because of the lack of money and neglect. The facility and building materials were neglected by the former local authorities, and equipment was stolen. In 2014, criminal proceedings were initiated for plundering the site. Thus, thousands of tons of untreated water from the kindergarten, hospital, school and prison colony, with the total volume of about 67 thousand cubic meters per year, was discharged into the Dnipro. Understanding the health risks that may be caused by untreated water, NIBULON completed to construct this facility and put it into operation within a month. The villagers now use high-quality water treated by a multiple step technology that consists of mechanical, biological treatment as well as disinfection, and which is also environmentally friendly. The laboratory, equipped with the up-to-date laboratory equipment, furniture, chemical dishes, and reagents provided at NIBULON’s expense, controls the sewage water treatment technology.NIBULON also takes care of the sanitary and domestic needs of personnel maintaining these treatment facilities. The company provided warm and well-illuminated offices, a workshop, dressing rooms for street wear and special clothes, sanitary and hygienic facilities in the production and auxiliary building. The company also arranged green spaces at the treatment facilities sites. NIBULON allocated UAH 10 million in this project. – It is argued that while river navigation is not developed, our rivers are clean. Will we lose water sources in the entire territory as soon as the river navigation is developed? – NIBULON’s vessels will not do any harm to the water environment, as the company has thoroughly prepared for this. The company’s modern fleet of 82 vessels meets the requirements of the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (Marpol 73/78), which is confirmed by the international certificates issued by the Shipping Register of Ukraine. Since 2017, NIBULON has equipped its floating facilities with devices to treat washing water with a system for its reuse. The company has installed points at its berths to receive sewage and sanitary water as well as shipboard waste and to supply its vessels with fuel and potable water. The vessels are fueled from a tank truck at a site equipped with accident prevention systems. A boom system is installed in the water area around the vessel. The company’s river facilities have 1,240 m of a boom system. The company installed a point to receive bilge water at its NIBULON shipbuilding and repair yard. These measures make it impossible for the company’s vessels to pollute Ukrainian rivers.The problem of water pollution from vessels really exists. Since the Law of Ukraine “On Inland Water Transport” came into force, river navigation will increase, and time will show whether other shipping companies are ready to ensure water protection. The law has many critically unacceptable provisions that will ruin Ukraine as a state and lead to terrible consequences from vessels on the move discharging sewage waste into the Dnipro, including in the Kyiv area.– The company dredges rivers. Is it safe for the environment, as silt, bottom soil and dirty water must be stored somewhere? How does this affect the aquatic life, animals, and plants?– Dredging to ensure navigable depths of the operational water area and water access to cargo berths at the company’s production facilities is performed in compliance with the projects specifying the area of dredging, volumes of bottoms soils, their content, dirtiness, etc. Based on the calculations and pre-project decisions, the company makes project decisions to handle bottom soils and develop measures, including compensatory ones. To minimize the impact on the environment, the riverbank dumps of soil are specially designed, with bordering around the perimeter and vertical planning of the bottom with a sediment area equipped with discharge pipes. Once dredging is completed, the company conducts the reclamation of riverbank dumps and implements greenery measures agreed with the community. For example, the sowing of fodder grass provides additional grass areas; the planting of trees and bushes will strengthen riverbanks and provide additional green areas. The company does not leave any mess or dirty water on the riverbanks once the dredging is completed. Since the company started to implement its investment program to revive navigation by inland waterways, it stocks the Dnipro, the Southern Buh, as well as the Kakhovka Reservoir, the Kaniv Reservoir, the Kremenchuk Reservoir and the Dnipro Reservoir, with fish as part of compensatory measures, having released almost 66 tons of silver carp, grass carp and carp, with a total worth UAH 2.82 million.In addition, the company constantly conducts tree planting at its sites and neighboring areas during its investment program. We have planted more than 30.9 thousand of trees and bushes, worth UAH 1.6 million. – NIBULON efficiently cleaned the Molochnyi Estuary and rescued tens of thousands of so-iuy mullet, enabling the fish to return to the Sea of Azov. Was it a real challenge for the company? Were you ready for it? How often do you save nature as there is nobody to do it? Do you conduct planned ecological activities? Do you assist third parties?– It was a unusual situation caused by people’s neglect. In autumn 2017, the buildup of silt in the Molochnyi Estuary caused about 20 thousand of so-iuy mullet that had entered the estuary in spring for spawning to be stuck in shallow water and die because of the lack of sea water. The water level falls catastrophically every year. The only sea gateway was an artificial strait which was blocked with sand from storms and required artificial cleaning. The amount of the loss comprised UAH 20 million. The local authorities allocated funds from Zaporizhzhia regional budget to solve this problem, but the works were not conducted after several tenders were held. The same situation occured in 2018 that was caused by the repeated cancellation of tenders in a ProZorro system. As the problem was urgent and the possible consequences could be irreversible, Kostiantyn Bryl, the former head of Zaporizhzhia Regional State Administration, asked NIBULON to help. The company dropped its current activities and came to save the Molochnyi Estuary. The NIBULON-7 dredger was urgently transported by road to Zaporizhzhia region. The company cleared the water channel between the Sea of Azov and the Molochnyi Estuary free of charge (the prime cost comprised UAH 437.708 thousand).This is not the only rescue operation performed by the company. In autumn 2020, similar work to dredge the existing straits was conducted in the Bobrove Lake (Kherson region). In spring 2021, the company has cleaned the riverbed and renewed the flow in the Yahorlyk (Odesa region). The company conducts nature-oriented plans and reports annually. Moreover, we provide nature-oriented plans to the world financial institutions supporting NIBULON’s investment activities. – What is the company’s attitude towards soil quality and protection? How does your department coordinate its work with the laboratory unit? – The quality of grain depends on nutritive properties of soil where grain grows. Highly qualified specialists, experienced in growing high-quality products and preserving the nutritive value of soil, work at the production branches. The company’s high-tech laboratories, equipped with the up-to-date and high-precision equipment produced by the world’s leading manufacturers, assist them to perform their work. The laboratory can measure soil fertility, thereby enabling the company to improve the application of fertilizers and pesticides, to conduct planned crop rotation and to timely adapt agrarian techniques. By the way, the company constantly renews its agricultural machinery. By using an individual approach to cultivating grain, the company harvests high yields and receives high-quality grain and oilseeds. In compliance with the certification field, the company’s production and technological laboratory measures its own products as well as products from farmers according to the following criteria: the content of toxic elements (copper, zinc, mercury, cadmium, plumb), pesticide residues, the content of mycotoxins, radionuclides, and GMO.Please note the product quality meets the strictest requirements of both Ukrainian and foreign consumers. High-quality food grain traditionally comprises 90% of the total volume of commodities produced. NIBULON’s chemical-technological laboratory controls technological processes, monitors the conditions of environmental facilities where the company’s production branches operate. The company also involves scientific institutions in monitoring, namely the Institute of Fisheries of the National Academy of Agrarian Sciences of Ukraine, the Soils Protection Institute of Ukraine, the Kherson State Agricultural University, the laboratory of the Dnipro-Buh Basin Department of the Laboratory Center of the State Sanitary and Epidemic Service of Ukraine on Water Transport. – Ukraine joins the European green course covering the reduction and recycling of production waste, as well as the use of renewable energy resources. What are the company’s steps in this direction? – The company adopted at its facilities the European approach to disposing production waste separately in order to give it to licensed organizations for further utilization or recycling.45 types of waste products are constantly produced at the existing facilities. These comprise waste from machine and tractor fleet, vessels, shipbuilding, animal farms, elevator and agricultural commodity production. The temporary waste storage takes place in special sies in compliance with a hazard classification. In 2020, NIBULON supplied for disposal 186.719 tons of waste, sold 3,430.070 tons of waste as a secondary raw material, used 27,746.430 tons of waste to satisfy its own needs, including 27,209,093 tons of animal manure as organic fertilizers.Considering that the prices for traditional fuel (natural gas, diesel fuel, electric energy) are constantly increasing, it is efficient to minimize energy carrier consumption. The company implements its own energy-saving activities at its facilities, namely: – installing solid fuel boilers running on various fuel (firewood, pallets, and briquettes). NIBULON has implemented these projects at its 5 branches.–processing dead grain waste into briquettes (2% of grain content) by using equipment produced at Zerma-Ukraine Ltd. The company started to produce fuel briquettes at the end of 2017 and provides solid fuel not only to its branches but also to the local social facilities (schools, kindergartens, hospitals). The above-mentioned technology solves the problem of quarantine weed utilization. This contributes to the reduction of field pollution and the number of dumps by 1.0 thousand tons of waste per year;–disposing waste oils (hydraulic, transmission, gear, motor, crankcase, compressor oil) created from production processes at the company. In 2018, the company installed two CLEAN BERN liquid-fuel boilers (the USA) which are able to run using oil refinery waste obtained from the technical maintenance of NIBULON’s fleet, road transport, technological facilities, etc. Since the company started to operate boilers, it has utilized 35,301 tons of oil refinery waste by using it as fuel to get energy. In order to utilize waste, the company obtained a license to handle dangerous waste, issued by the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources;– using solar energy to heat water at its facilities. Since 2017, NIBULON has already installed 14 Vaillant VFK 135/2 VD solar systems at its facilities. The company does not stop at what has been accomplished. We continue to search for new ways to use renewable energy sources. http://www.agroprofi.com.ua/statti/1964-alla-izmyestyeva-vysokyy-nibulonivskyy-ekolohichnyy-standart-v-osnovi-vsikh-proyektiv-kompaniyi