# ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION IN AZERBAIJAN

 

***************Forwarded by: ***********************

Joan Morgan for Judith Robinson,BISNIS, U.S. Department of Commerce

E-mail: [email protected], [email protected].

 

Note: See Below for 2Environmental Search For Partners Trade Leads 

********************************

24 NOV 99

SOURCE: US EMBASSY BAKU

INTRODUCTION

------------

 

1. THIS REPORT IS A BRIEFOVERVIEW OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL

SITUATION IN AZERBAIJAN AS OFNOVEMBER 1999.  INDUSTRY,

OIL PRODUCTION, AND TRANSPORTHAVE BEEN THE SOURCE OF

SEVERE AIR, WATER AND SOILPOLLUTION.  THIS IS

PARTICULARLY EVIDENT IN THESOVIET-ERA FACTORY CITY OF

SUMGAYIT AND PARTS OF BAKU, THECAPITAL.  THE MAIN

REASONS ARE OUTDATED TECHNOLOGY,MALFUNCTIONING

EQUIPMENT, AND THE USE OF LOWQUALITY RAW MATERIALS

WHICH GENERATE HIGH POLLUTIONEMISSIONS AND WASTE.  IN

NOVEMBER 1999, THE COMMERCIALSECTION OF THE U.S.

EMBASSY IN BAKU MET WITH THEAZERBAIJAN STATE ECOLOGY

COMMITTEE TO DISCUSS GOVERNMENTOF AZERBAIJAN (GOAJ)

PRIORITIES IN ENVIRONMENTALCLEANUP.  THE FOLLOWING

INFORMATION WAS GATHERED FROM AVARIETY OF SOURCES,

INCLUDING DATA FROM THE STATEECOLOGY COMMITTEE.

 

THE ECONOMY AND THE ENVIRONMENT

-------------------------------

 

2. THE AZERBAIJAN REPUBLIC OCCUPIESA TERRITORY OF 86

THOUSAND SQUARE KILOMETERS ON THEWESTERN COAST OF THE

CASPIAN SEA.  THE COUNTRY HAS A POPULATION OF 8MILLION

PEOPLE.  DEVELOPMENT IS CONCENTRATED IN THE COASTAL

AREAS, WHICH IS FUELED BY THEEXPLORATION OF RICH OIL

AND GAS RESOURCES.  FORESTS COVER 11.4% OF THE TERRITORY

AND AGRICULTURAL LANDS MAKE UPABOUT 50%.

 

3. PRIOR TO THE BREAKUP OF THESOVIET UNION, THE ECONOMY

FEATURED HEAVY INDUSTRY, OIL ANDGAS DEVELOPMENT, AND AN

AGRICULTURAL SECTOR SPECIALIZINGIN COTTON, GRAINS,

FRUITS, AND VEGETABLES.  INDUSTRY WAS HIGHLY

CONCENTRATED IN THE CITIES OFSUMGAYIT AND BAKU ON THE

ABSHERON PENINSULA, WITH LARGECHEMICAL, PETROCHEMICAL

AND METALLURGICAL COMPLEXES.  AZERBAIJAN PRODUCED HALF

THE WORLD'S OIL AROUND THE TURNOF THE CENTURY. SCANT

ENVIRONMENTAL CONSIDERATION WASGIVEN TO INDUSTRIAL AND

ENERGY DEVELOPMENTS INAZERBAIJAN, WITH DISASTROUS

CONSEQUENCES. OIL PRODUCTION HASLEFT BEHIND VAST AREAS

OF WASTELAND WITH STANDING OILPONDS AND SEVERELY

CONTAMINATED SOIL, A SHORE ALONGBAKU BAY THAT IS BLACK

WITH OIL RESIDUE, AND HIGH LEVELSOF POLLUTION IN THE

CASPIAN SEA.

 

4. SINCE THE COLLAPSE OF THESOVIET UNION, ECONOMIC

OUTPUT HAS DECLINED DRAMATICALLYDUE TO SEVERAL FACTORS,

INCLUDING THE DEMISE OF THE INTER-REPUBLICANTRADE AND

PAYMENT SYSTEM, WAR WITH ARMENIA,DISRUPTION OF

TRANSPORT LINKS TO THE NORTH, ANDA SLOW ECONOMIC REFORM

PROCESS.  HEAVY INDUSTRY WAS ESPECIALLY HARD HIT,AND

MANY LARGE COMPLEXES ARE NOWOPERATING AT LESS THAN 20%

OF CAPACITY.  THE TRANSITION PERIOD HAS BEEN A MIXED

BLESSING FOR THE ENVIRONMENT.

 

5. THE DECLINE IN INDUSTRIAL ANDAGRICULTURAL OUTPUT HAS

SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED AIRPOLLUTION, INDUSTRIAL WATER

DISCHARGES, AND POLLUTION FROMAGROCHEMICALS.  HOWEVER,

THE ACCUMULATION OF TOXICINDUSTRIAL WASTE, HEAVY

METALS, PESTICIDE RESIDUES, ANDOIL POLLUTION FROM THE

PAST PRESENTS SUBSTANTIALENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS.

POLLUTION FROM OLD OIL FIELDS,REFINERIES, AND POWER

PLANTS CONTINUES AT HIGH RATES.

 

6. THE ECONOMIC DISTRESSEXPERIENCED BY AZERBAIJAN SINCE

1991 HAS MADE IT DIFFICULT TOALLOCATE APPROPRIATE

LEVELS OF ENVIRONMENTALFINANCING. AFTER SEVERAL YEARS

OF PRODUCTION DECLINE, THEECONOMY RETURNED TO GROWTH IN

1996.  GDP IS PROJECTED TO INCREASE AT AN ANNUAL RATE OF

5% FOR 1999 AND 2000.  OIL PRODUCTION AT NEW FIELDS WILL

BE RESPONSIBLE FOR MOST OF THEGROWTH.  TOTAL GOVERNMENT

REVENUES ARE ALSO EXPECTED TOINCREASE FROM 17% OF GDP

IN 1998 TO 21% OF GDP IN2001.  THE PROJECTED GROWTH IN

GDP AND GOVERNMENT REVENUES COULDSIGNIFICANTLY INCREASE

THE FUNDS AVAILABLE FOR THE MOSTURGENT ENVIRONMENTAL

PROTECTION AND IMPROVEMENTEXPENDITURES.

 

POLLUTION CONTROL SPENDING

--------------------------

 

7. ACCORDING TO GOAJ STATISTICS,TOTAL GOVERNMENT AND

PRIVATE SECTOR ENVIRONMENTALEXPENDITURES AVERAGED ABOUT

$13.5 MILLION PER YEAR DURING THEPERIOD 1992 TO 1995,

OR LESS THAN 0.4% OF GDP.  ABOUT 57% OF THE EXPENDITURES

WERE ON WATER RESOURCES MAINLYWATER AND WASTEWATER

TREATMENT, AND ABOUT 27% ON AIRPOLLUTION CONTROL.  MOST

OF THIS MONEY WAS SPENT ONOPERATING AND MAINTAINING

EXISTING WATER AND WASTEWATERTREATMENT AND AIR

POLLUTION CONTROL SYSTEMS,ALTHOUGH SOME NEW INVESTMENTS

WERE INCLUDED.  THE CURRENT LEVEL OF ENVIRONMENTAL

EXPENDITURES IS INADEQUATE TOADDRESS THE MAJOR

ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS INAZERBAIJAN, AND IT IS NOT EVEN

ENOUGH TO PROPERLY OPERATE ANDMAINTAIN EXISTING WASTE

TREATMENT AND POLLUTION CONTROLSYSTEMS.  A REASONABLE

TARGET FOR ENVIRONMENTALEXPENDITURES BY THE YEAR 2000

WOULD BE 1% OF GDP, OR ABOUT $45MILLION PER YEAR.

 

INDUSTRY: THE PRIMARY SOURCE OFPOLLUTION

-----------------------------------------

 

8. THE INDUSTRIAL SECTOR HAS BEENTHE PRIMARY SOURCE OF

AIR, WATER AND SOIL POLLUTIONTHROUGHOUT AZERBAIJAN, AND

PARTICULARLY IN SUMGAYIT ANDBAKU.  THE MAIN REASONS ARE

OUTDATED TECHNOLOGY AND MALFUNCTIONINGOR NON-EXISTING

POLLUTION ABATEMENTEQUIPMENT.  IN SUMGAYIT, THE MOST

SEVERE POLLUTION PROBLEM ISLINKED TO THE USE OF MERCURY

IN CHLOR-ALKALI PRODUCTION.  THE PROCESS EQUIPMENT IS IN

POOR CONDITION AND HEAVYCORRODED.  MERCURY LOSSES

DURING PRODUCTION PEAKED AT 1KILOGRAM PER TON OF

CHLORINE.  AT PRESENT, ABOUT 300 GRAMS OF MERCURYPER

TON OF CHLORINE ARE PRODUCED,COMPARED WITH 2-3 GRAMS

PER TON OR LESS IN A WELL-MAINTAINEDAND CONTROLLED

FACTORY.  MERCURY LOST DURING THE PROCESS ISRELEASED

INTO ATMOSPHERE, DISCHARGED WITHWASTE WATERS, OR

DISCHARGED IN PLANT WASTES.  AT THE PRESENT PRODUCTION

LEVEL, MERCURY-CONTAMINATEDWASTES ARE ACCUMULATING BY 6

TO 7000 TONS PER YEAR.  ABOUT 200,000 TONS OF MERCURY

SLUDGE HAS ALREADY ACUMULATED,CONTAINING 0.1-0.3%

MERCURY.  WASTE ISINADEQUATELY STORED IN GROUNDWATER

CONTAMINATION.  LEAKAGE INTO THE CASPIAN SEA IS LIKELY.

THE DISCHARGES OF PROCESSED WATERHAVE ALREADY SEVERELY

CONTAMINATED SEA BOTTOM SEDIMENTSIN THE CASPIAN SEA.

 

AIR POLLUTION

-------------

 

9. IN THE PAST, LARGE CITIES INAZERBAIJAN SUFFERED FROM

AIR POLLUTION LEVELS CONSIDEREDUNSAFE FOR HUMAN HEALTH.

INDUSTRIAL COLLAPSE HASCONTRIBUTED TO AIR QUALITY

IMPROVEMENTS THAT HAVE BEENPARTIALLY OFFSET BY A RAPID

INCREASE OF TRANSPORT.  AIR QUALITY IS MONITORED IN

EIGHT CITIES FOR AMBIENTCONCENTRATIONS OF SULFUR

DIOXIDE, NITROGEN OXIDES, CARBONMONOXIDE, HYDROGEN

FLUORIDE AND OTHERCOMPOUNDS.  THE MAJOR SOURCES OFAIR

POLLUTANTS ARE POWER PLANTS,INDUSTRY, AND TRANSPORT.

ACCORDING TO OFFICIAL GOAJSTATISTICS, AIR POLLUTION

EMISSIONS IN 1995 WERE 1.325MILLION TONS, OF WHICH

879,000 THOUSAND TONS WERE FROMSTATIONARY SOURCES AND

THE REST FROM MOBILESOURCES.  INDUSTRIAL EMISSIONS IN

AZERBAIJAN ARE CONCENTRATED INBAKU AND SUMGAYIT.

 

10. THE PRIMARY SOURCE OFATMOSPHERIC POLLUTION IS THE

RELEASE OF ASSOCIATED GASSES BYTHE OIL INDUSTRY.  THE

PROBLEM IS AGGRAVATED BY WORN-OUTAND OUTDATED

COLLECTION SYSTEMS FOR OIL ANDGAS, RESULTING IN LARGE

LOSSES.  IN BAKU, EMISSIONS OF INDUSTRIAL POLLUTANTS

UNRELATED TO THE OIL INDUSTRY ARERELATIVELY SMALL AND

NOT OF MAJOR CONCENTRATION WITHTHE EXCEPTION OF

RELEASES OF CHLOROFTOROCARBONSFROM AN AIR CONDITIONER

AND REFRIGERATOR PLANT AND DUSTFROM A CEMENT PLANT.  IN

SUMGAYIT, SOME OF THE POLLUTANTSINCLUDE HYDROGEN-

FLUORIDES FROM ALUMINUMPRODUCTION, MERCURY FROM AN

AMALGAM PLANT FOR CHLOR-ALKALIPRODUCTION, HEAVY METALS

SUCH AS LEAD, ZINC, AND CADMIUMIN THE DUST FROM A STEEL

PLANT, AND VARIOUS CHLORINATEDSUBSTANCES FROM THE

PETROCHEMICAL INDUSTRIES.  THE EMISSIONS DO NOT ONLY

DEGRADE AIR QUALITY.  SOME OF THE POLLUTANTS, SUCH AS

HEAVY METALS AND STABLE ORGANICSUBSTANCES, ARE

PERSISTENT AND ACCUMULATE INSOILS AND FOOD.  IT IS ALSO

VERY LIKELY THAT EXTREMELY TOXICCOMPOUNDS SUCH AS

DIOXINS DIBENZOFURANES ARE FORMEDAND RELEASED DURING

SOME OF THE PETROCHEMICALPROCESS.

 

WATER POLLUTION

---------------

 

11. WATER RESOURCES IN AZERBAIJANARE LIMITED, AND LOSSES

IN DISTRIBUTION ARE HIGH.  PIPED DRINKING WATER IS

PROVIDED TO LESS THAN 50% OF THEPOPULATION, AND SOME

AREAS HAVE A SHORTAGE OF DRINKINGWATER.  MOST OF

AZERBAIJAN'S MUNICIPAL WATERCOMES FROM THE KURA RIVER

AND THE SHOLLAR-KHACHMAZBASIN.  THE ANNUAL INTAKE OF

FRESH WATER FROM THE WATERRESERVOIRS OF AZERBAIJAN IS

APPROXIMATELY 16 BILLION CUBICMETERS.  ABOUT 1.2 BILLION

CUBIC METERS ARE FROM UNDERGROUNDSOURCES, OF WHICH THERE

ARE MORE THAN 20 INLAND WATERRESERVOIRS ON THE APSHERON

PENINSULA.  THE AVERAGE PER CAPITA CONSUMPTION OF

DRINKING WATER IS ABOUT 130LITERS PER DAY, RELATIVELY

LOW BY INTERNATIONALSTANDARDS.  INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT

AND AN INCREASE IN POPULATION HASLED TO FORMATION OF

NUMEROUS SETTLEMENTS WHICH DO NOTHAVE SEWAGE SYSTEMS OR

ADEQUATE WATER TREATMENTFACILITIES.  BOTH SEWAGE WATER

FROM THESE SETTLEMENTS ANDINDUSTRIAL WASTE HAVE BEEN

DISCHARGED INTO THE NEARBYRESERVOIRS, WHICH RESULT IN

THEIR CONTAMINATION BY BIOGENICELEMENTS AND TOXIC

SUBSTANCES.

 

12. SYSTEMATIC WATER SAMPLING INDIFFERENT PARTS OF THE

CASPIAN BASIN SHOW CONTAMINATIONFROM PHENOLS, OIL

PRODUCTS, SURFACTANTS AND OTHERSSOURCES.  IN ADDITION TO

INEFFICIENT USE OF WATER,POLLUTION OF THE MAIN RIVERS

AND THE CASPIAN SEA IS A VERYSERIOUS PROBLEM.

NEIGHBORING COUNTRIES HEAVILYPOLLUTE THE KURA RIVER AND

ARAKS RIVER AND THEIRTRIBUTARIES.  MUNICIPAL SEWAGE

CONTAINING MORE THAN 40,000 TONSOF NUTRIENTS IS RELEASED

INTO KURA AND ARAKS RIVERS BEFORECROSSING THE BORDER.

FOR EXAMPLE, EXTREMELY HIGHLEVELS OF COPPER AND

MOLYBDENUM HAVE BEEN DETECTEDNEAR THE ARMENIAN BORDER IN

SHAFYJLY REGION.  MOST FLORA AND FAUNA CANNOT SURVIVE

UNDER THOSE CONDITIONS.  WATER FROM KURA RIVER DOES NOT

MEET AZERBAIJAN'S DRINKING WATERSTANDARDS, EVEN AFTER

CONVENTIONAL WATERTREATMENT.  THIS IS A CRITICAL

PROBLEM, BECAUSE THE KURA RIVERIS THE MAIN SOURCE OF

DRINKING WATER IN AZERBAIJAN.

 

SOIL POLLUTION

--------------

 

13. ATMOSPHERIC DEPOSITS OF HEAVYMETALS FROM INDUSTRY,

POWER PLANTS, AND MOTOR VEHICLESPOLLUTE THE SOIL IN

AZERBAIJAN.  IN SOME AREAS, THE AVERAGECONCENTRATIONS OF

HEAVY METALS EXCEED ACCEPTABLELEVELS BY FACTORS OF 3 TO

60.  LEAD LEVELS IN SOILS ARE UP TO 8 TIMES THE

ACCEPTABLE LEVELS, CADMIUM UP TO3 TIMES, NICKEL UP TO 2

TIMES, COPPER UP TO 10 TIMES, ANDZINC UP TO 50 TO 60

TIMES ACCEPTABLE LEVELS.  THESE INCREASED CONCENTRATIONS

POLLUTE GROUND WATERS, REDUCEBIOLOGICAL ACTIVITY IN THE

SOIL RESULTING IN REDUCED GROWTHOF CROPS AND VEGETATION,

AND CONTAMINATE FOOD THROUGHDIRECT AND INDIRECT UPTAKE

IN VEGETABLES AND CROPS.  IN ADDITION, LARGE AREAS OF

LAND ARE CONTAMINATED BYOIL.  MINERAL DEPOSIT

EXPLORATION, PARTICULARLY OIL EXTRACTIONAND PIPELINE

CONSTRUCTION HAVE CONTRIBUTED TOTHE POLLUTION OF ABOUT

30,000 HECTARES OF LAND.  THE MOST ACUTE SOIL DEGRADATION

PROBLEMS ARE ON THE ABSHERONPENINSULA WHERE A CENTURY OF

OIL PRODUCTION, HAS LEFT MORETHAN 10,000 HECTARES OF

LAND HEAVILY CONTAMINATED.  OTHER IMPORTANT SOURCES SUCH

ASLEADED GASOLINE, METAL-BASEDPESTICIDES IN

AGRICLTURE, CADMIUM INFERTILIZER, AND IMPROPER DISPOSAL

OF HEAVY METAL-CONTAINING WASTESCAUSING SEVERE SOIL

POLLUTION.

 

ANALYSIS

--------

 

14. THE EXTENSIVE POLLUTIONREPRESENTS A HUGE

OPPORTUNITY FOR FOREIGNTECHNOLOGY. HOWEVER, THE LACK OF

STATE REVENUE, IN A COUNTRY WHEREMOST OF THE WORKING

POPULATION TAKE HOME LESS THAN$100 A MONTH, MEANS THAT

ENVIRONMENTAL CLEANUP WILL STARTLATE AND WILL NOT BE A

GOAJ PRIORITY.  THE GOAJ WILL SEEK TO SHIFT

RESPONSIBILITY TO FOREIGN OIL ANDGAS COMPANIES OR TO

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT BANKSIN ORDER TO FUND CLEANUP

EFFORTS.

 

15.  THE WORLD BANK HAS EARMARKED $25 MILLION TOWARD AN

URGENT ENVIRONMENTALINVESTMENTDPROJECT.  ITS PRIORITIES

INCLUDE:

 

-- DEVELOPMENT OF A NEW STURGEONHATCHERY DESIGNED TO

RESTORE THE CAPACITY OFAZERBAIJAN TO PRODUCE STURGEON

FINGERLINGS, APPROXIMATE VALUE $9MILLION.  THE WORLD

BANK EXPECTS TO SIGN A CONTRACTWITH A FRENCH CONSULTING

FIRM, WHICH WILL PROVIDEASSISTANCE IN TRAINING AND

OPERATIONS.  A TENDER FOR CONSTRUCTION AND EQUIPMENT

SUPPLY FOR THE HATCHERY IS IN THEPRE-QUALIFICATION

STAGE.  THE BANK IS PREPARING A SHORT LIST OF QUALIFIED

COMPANIES TO PARTICIPATE IN THETENDER.

 

-- A MERCURY CLEAN-UP PROGRAMTHAT WILL DECONTAMINATE AN

AREA HEAVILY POLLUTED BY MERCURYAT THE SUMGAYIT CHLOR-

ALKALINE PRODUCTION PLANT,APPROXIMATE VALUE $8.1

MILLION.  6 OR 7 TENDERS ARE EXPECTED FOR VARIOUS

ASPECTS OF THIS PROGRAM,INCLUDING CONSTRUCTION, CIVIL

WORKS, PROVISION OF LANDFILL, ANDWASTE CLEANUP AND

DISPOSAL.  THESE TENDERS WILL BE ISSUED STARTINGIN MID-

FEBRUARY, 2000.  THE FIRST TENDER WILL BE A CONSULTING

CONTRACT.

 

-- ONSHORE OIL CLEANUP, WHICHWILL TEST CLEANUP METHODS

ON A PILOT BASIS AND MITIGATEEXISTING POLLUTION IN ONE

ONSHORE OIL FIELD OF THE ABSHERONPENINSULA, APPROXIMATE

VALUE $5.1 MILLION.  THE WORLD BANK IS EXPECTED TO

APPROVE 3 TENDERS FOR THISPROJECT.  THE INITIAL TENDER

FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF AFACILITY TO TEST CLEANUP

METHODOLOGIES WILL OPEN IN MID-JANUARY,2000.  TENDERS

FOR CLEANUP AND CONSULTING AREEXPECTED TO FOLLOW.

 

-- ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENTCOMPONENT, EXPECTED VALUE

$1.4 MILLION.  THE BRITISH FIRM, ENVIRONMENTALRESOURCES

MANAGEMENT (ERM), WON THE FIRSTTENDER OF THIS PROJECT,

WHICH IS SUPPORTED BY THE UK KNOW-HOWFUND.  A SECOND

CONSULTING TENDER, SUPPORTED BYTHE GOVERNMENT OF JAPAN,

IS UNDER EVALUATION.  A WINNER WILL BE DETERMINED IN

MID-DECEMBER.

 

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASECONTACT:

 

WORLD BANK

----------

MS. AFAG MURATALIYEVA

ENVIRONMENTAL PROJECTIMPLEMENTATION UNIT

91-95 MIRZA MANSUR ST.

ICHERI SHEHER, BAKU AZERBAIJAN370004

TEL. 99412 92-68-63

 

STATE COMMITTEE FOR ECOLOGY ANDCONTROL FOR NATURE USE

------------------------------------------------------

MR. ALI HASANOV - CHAIRMAN

31 ISTIGLALIYAT STREET

BAKU, AZERBAIJAN 370001

TEL: 99412 92-41-73

FAX: 99412 92-59-07

 

MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT - BAKU CITYEXECUTIVE AUTHORITIES

------------------------------------------------------

MR. RAFAEL ALLAKHVERDIYEV - MAYOR

4 ISTIGLALIYAT STREET

BAKU, AZERBAIJAN 370001

TEL: 99412 92-29-51; 99412 92-91-40;99412 92-50-13

FAX: 99412 98-58-28

 

FCS BAKU

--------

MS. ELMIRA RAGIMOVA - COMMERCIALASSISTANT

MR. SEYMOUR KHALILOV - COMMERCIALASSISTANT

 

AMERICAN EMBASSY

83 AZADLIG PROSPECT

BAKU, AZERBAIJAN 370007

TEL: 99412 98-03-35

FAX: 99412 98-61-17

E-MAIL: RAGIMOVAET(AT)STATE.GOV;KHALILOVSB(AT)STATE.GOV

 

U.S. MAIL ADDRESS:

AMERICAN EMBASSY - BAKU,AZERBAIJAN

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20520-7051

 

*************************************************************

 

Industry: Waste Recovery

Company: Severnoye, RoadConstruction and Repair Division 

The following isinformation on a business opportunity to offer technological solutions to awaste recovery and processing facility to be built in Moscow in 2000. Thecompany will be interested in purchasing the appropriate technologicalequipment if it fits the technical requirements. This project may presentcommercial opportunities for U.S. companies.

Technicalrequirements:  The Russian firm,Road Construction and Repair Division "Severnoye" (RCRD), has starteddeveloping a feasibility study for a municipal waste recovery and processingfacility to be built in the northern part of Moscow. According to the firm, theMoscow City Government is supporting the project. Technologically it isfocusing on high-pressure molding/briquetting of non-recyclable solid waste tobe used as load-bearing filler for construction purposes. The facility shouldbe equipped with a sorting system for recyclables such as metal, glass, paperand plastics.

+ Processing capacity:300-500,000 tons per year or up to 1,500 tons per day. 

+ High-pressuremolding/briquetting system with briquett bearing strength of about 600 kg/cu.cm.

+ Environmentalconformity of resulting briquetts.

U.S. companies providinghigh-pressure molding/briquetting technologies and sorting systems fittingthese technical requirements are encouraged to contact RCRD"Severnoye". The preferred language is English.

Contact:  Lev N. Utgof, General Director

Admirala Makarova St. 41

Moscow, 125212, Russia

Tel/Fax:7-095-156-4040/1083

Source:  U.S. and Foreign Commercial ServiceMoscow and BISNIS Representative in Moscow

 

***

 

 

Industry: EnvironmentalConsultancy

Company: Kharza Ltd.

Kharza Ltd., dresses,dyes and sells wild animal skins for fur clothes.  It was established in 1997 and has 12 employees.  It has a production facility with 238sq. m. of space, and a plot of land with 710 sq. m.  Its production facility is used for preparing and sellingwild animals' skins.  Kharza is apermanent participant in fur auctions held in Saint Petersburg.  It produces 60,000 skins a year and itsannual turnover is US$2.5 million. Kharza possesses a patent on the special treatment of fur.

The company controls thelocal skin dressing business, and believes that fur coats and hats will alwaysbe in demand due to the cold climate of the Russian Far East. 

The company seeks a U.S.environmental consulting company for partnership under an EcoLinks grant. Thecompany has designed a project requiring the installation of modern equipmentto treat sewage wastes. Kharza plans to apply for an EcoLinks partnership grantworth US$50 000, for the implementation of the project, including technicalassistance and some equipment.

EcoLinks is a cooperativeprogram funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development. For moreinformation on the program, please refer to: www.ecolinks.org.

Contact: GalinaNekrasova, Director

14-A Avrora street

Khabarovsk, Russia

Tel: +7-4-212 305-113

Fax: +7-4-212 306-109

E-mail: [email protected]

Source: BISNISRepresentative in Khabarovsk