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Acquaintance to implementation of projects on ecology and energy-saving at Karelsky Okatysh (Karelian Iron-Ore Pellets) Open Society became one of the basic purposes of visit of the official delegation of Finland led by the Minister of Foreign Trade and Development Paula Lehtomaki to Kostomuksha held on August, 9-10.
The governor of the Finnish province of Oulu Eino Siuruainen, the main adviser of the Ministry of Trade and industry of Finland Jouko Varjonen, heads of the Consulate General of Finland in Saint Petersburg, and also representatives of the Government of the Republic of Karelia, and the sales representative of the Russian Federation in Finland Valery Shlyamin participated in visit to Karelsky Okatysh Open Society.
The guests have visited divisions of Karelsky Okatysh, a boiler-house where it is supposed to realize one of the joint projects, met the company management.
As the director on economics and finance of Karelsky Okatysh Open Society Eugeny Romashchin has informed, there are now two projects under realisation in the company in which embodiment the government of Finland participates.
Since fall of 2002 the project on introduction of quality and environment control systems according to international standards ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 is under implementation in Karelsky Okatysh Open Society at the financial and organizational support of the Ministry of Environment of Finland. Finnish company OY ENEMI LTD which within two years held a number of seminars for workers of Karelsky Okatysh in Kostomuksha also participates in this project.
The second project is upgrading the enterprise's central boiler-house and systems of thermal energy distribution. Upon project impolementation it is supposed to reduce expenses of fuel used in boiler-house and losses of heat, having thus increased energy efficiency of the boiler-house, quality of heating and hot water supply of consumers. The plan of the project on boiler-house upgrading was prepared by Karelsky Okatysh Open Society together with the Ministry of Trade and Industry of Finland. The Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland which approved and supported the project is going to participate in financing performance of the project within the framework of the Program of bilateral cooperation with adjoining territories. Realization of this project will begin from studying the feasibility report during which it is supposed to determine the optimum variant of upgrading in the view of necessary volumes of investments, influence on the environment, rating the opportunity of using alternative fuel, and electric power manufacture. By the results of the tender held ENPRIMA company from the Finnish party, and the enterprise of housing and communal services of Kostomuksha except for Karelsky Okatysh Open Society from the Russian party will participate in the work on preparation of the preliminary feasibility report.
«We shall complete preparation for introducing quality and environment control systems by the end of the year. The project on boiler-house upgrading is at the initial stage - since August till December the preliminary feasibility report of upgrade, and in 2005 the detailed feasibility report of the project will be developed. Nevertheless, both projects are priority in our company in the view of the fact that they are of ecological value, and boiler-house upgrading is also energy-efficient. It is also important for us in realization of these projects that Karelsky Okatysh is located actually on the border with the European Union and we can use the experience and support of Finland to achieve the problem put by,» - the director on economics and finance of Karelsky Okatysh Open Society Eugeny Romashchin has emphasized.
The Minister of Foreign Trade and Development of Finland Paula Lehtomaki has highly evaluated the value of the projects of Karelsky Okatysh Open Society. «In Karelia there very few such projects in the field of power investments. Upgrading of the boiler-house at Karelsky Okatysh will serve as a vivid example of joint realization of similar projects for Europe,» - P.Lehtomjaki has noted. - «We have made the decision on participation in this project and we consider it important that it has gained practical realization. On both sides of the border there is a necessity for implementation of the projects directed on energy-saving. It is our common interest to modernize boiler-house of Karelsky Okatysh so that it would become more effective and meet ecological requirements. As a whole it is more favourable for Finland if adjacent territories develop stably.»
Besides the Minister of Foreign Trade and Development of Finland has noted that the frontier cooperation strategy authorized this year considers actions in the field of ecology and energy-saving the most important.
Reference. The Minister of Foreign Trade and Development of Finland Paula Ilona Lehtomaki is the youngest minister in the government of Finland. She is 32 years old. Paula Lehtomaki is an economist, worked as a teacher, for the first time she was elected in the parliament of Finland in 1999 from the party of the centre. She is a member of the Finnish delegation in the Council of Europe, since 2000 she is a member of the board of the "Finland - Russia" society. She speaks Swedish, English and Russian, is fond of sports. As the Finnish Minister considers, development of bilateral cooperation with Russia remains one of the priority directions in the foreign policy of Finland.
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