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Еnvironmental Protection
An environmental impact assessment (EIA) is performed at the planning stage of each project to identify the environmental and other effects of the project in accordance with the precautionary principle (Principle 15 of the United Nations Rio Declaration on Environmental Protection and Development, 2009), the specifications of the Qazaq Refinery’s environmental management system, and the laws of the Republic of Kazakhstan. Throughout the design phase, each project also goes through public hearings with input from administrative, governmental, and regulatory authorities, research institutions, public associations, the local community, and the media.
Qazaq Refinery is committed to operating responsibly so that our operations have the least potential impact on the natural environment. We adhere to strict international environmental rules and are implementing aggressive GHG emission reduction measures. Our key environmental goals for 2022 were continuing to focus on GHG emission reduction approaches and joining in the CDP (formerly Carbon Disclosure Project), which is an important mechanism for corporations to disclose their environmental impact and risk management.
Our Climate Change CDP response was independently rated, and we are pleased to say that Qazaq Refinery received a ‘C’. We are pleased with our first-year score since it demonstrates that the policies and procedures we have implemented in recent years are equipping the Company to deal with climate change both now and in the future. In 2022, we continued our involvement in the CDP project, as well as our commitment to improve transparency in our operations. In July, Qazaq Refinery Climate Change CDP responses were submitted with the intention of maintaining or increasing the ‘C’ grade, as were the initial responses for the Water Security CDP module.
Greenhouse gas (‘GHG’) emissions
Qazaq Refinery aspires to decrease all GHG emissions to the greatest extent possible and continues to invest in cutting-edge technologies to accomplish so. Qazaq Refinery strictly adheres to Kazakhstan GHG emission standards and has been monitoring and reporting GHG emissions since 2021. In 2022, we participated in the CDP disclosure process for the second time to demonstrate our dedication to improvement and transparency in this area.
As a dual-listed company, Qazaq Refinery adheres to Kazakhstan reporting rules. The Company’s GHG reporting period coincides to the period for which the Directors’ Report is prepared. Under Kazakhstan’s National Plan for 2021-2022, the Qazaq Refinery was permitted to emit 627,174 tonnes of carbon dioxide (‘CO2’). Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Environment, Geology, and Natural Resources allocated an extra quota of 103,650 tonnes of CO2 emissions in 2021 to cover the GTU 3 facility, which was not included in the National Plan at the time.
The National Plan has set a quota of 212,998 tonnes of CO2 emissions for Qazaq Refinery in 2021. We want to increase the efficiency of our facilities by altering the operations and maintenance schedules, as well as reducing our fuel gas usage and flare volumes. Qazaq Refinery is committed to lowering flaring activity and only flares in accordance with the terms of Kazakhstan Ministry of Energy gas flaring licenses. Maintenance work at our gas treatment plants has been shown to reduce the risk of unintended flaring, and the implementation of a gas utilization program has resulted in a reduction in gas flaring.