MOSCOW, Aug. 8, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Mechel OAO (NYSE:MTL), one of the leading Russian mining and metals companies, reports implementing a new coal washing and dewatering technology at Elga Coal Complex's seasonal washing plant. Investment in this project totaled some two million US dollars.
The launch of two membrane filter presses produced by Tecnicas Hidraulicas will enable the complex to filter slime waters under pressure and make intensive mechanical dewatering of small coal fractions. This technology will boost the seasonal washing plant's end-product capacity by 10% (from 2 million tonnes to 2.3 million tonnes annually) and reduce the facility's consumption of process water by 2.5-3 times.
Currently work still continues on transferring Elga's seasonal washing plant to all-year operation mode. The works are scheduled to be completed in October-November, which will enable the plant to reach 2.7-million-tonne annual capacity.
The new technology enables the plant to loop the ultrafine coal and clarified water system and fully exclude the possibility of waste waters getting into external hydraulic facilities. This complies with the ecological safety requirements as set in the Russian environment protection law.
"Construction of Elga Coal Complex's facilities is being conducted exclusively with the use of state-of-the-art technologies that will enable us to make the Elga project one of global leaders by its cost efficiency and profit. Besides, we make maximum effort to increase the quality of our coal products, which is, in our conviction, the project's trademark," Mechel OAO's Chief Executive Officer Oleg Korzhov commented.
Mechel is an international mining and steel company which employs over 70,000 people. Its products are marketed in Europe, Asia, North and South America, Africa. Mechel unites producers of coal, iron ore concentrate, steel, rolled products, ferroalloys, heat and electric power. All of its enterprises work in a single production chain, from raw materials to high value-added products.
Some of the information in this press release may contain projections or other forward-looking statements regarding future events or the future financial performance of Mechel, as defined in the safe harbor provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. We wish to caution you that these statements are only predictions and that actual events or results may differ materially. We do not intend to update these statements. We refer you to the documents Mechel files from time to time with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including our Form 20-F. These documents contain and identify important factors, including those contained in the section captioned "Risk Factors" and "Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements" in our Form 20-F, that could cause the actual results to differ materially from those contained in our projections or forward-looking statements, including, among others, the achievement of anticipated levels of profitability, growth, cost and synergy of our recent acquisitions, the impact of competitive pricing, the ability to obtain necessary regulatory approvals and licenses, the impact of developments in the Russian economic, political and legal environment, volatility in stock markets or in the price of our shares or ADRs, financial risk management and the impact of general business and global economic conditions.