Information on the packaging and export of PCBs and PCB-containing waste from Belarus for disposal in France

At the beginning of the project the total amount of liquid PCBs in the Republic of Belarus is estimated to be around 1561, 6 tons. At Belarusian enterprises there were identified: 

• 54, 6 thousand PCB-containing power capacitors;
• 308 PCB-containing power transformers;
• 31, 6 thousand portable capacitors;
• 32, 0 tons of liquid PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) in reservoirs (including exhausted sovtol);
• 39, 2 tons of PCB-contaminated ground;
• 32, 4 tons of PCB-contaminated metallic structures (including empty sovtol transformers)

The largest quantity of PCBs is concentrated at enterprises belonging to the Ministry of Industry and those belonging to the “Belneftekhim” concern. They account for 38 and 26% of all the PCBs in the country respectively.

The Republic of Belarus, as one of the parties of the Stockholm convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants had undertaken the obligations to seize the use of polychlorinated biphenyls by 2025 and to provide for the disposal of PCB-containing waste by 2028. The international technical assistance plays an important role in the solution of this problem.

Within the framework of implementing the “Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) Stockpile Management (Component C of Integrated Solid Waste Management Project)” project conducted by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection with support from the World Bank it was made possible to provide for the environmentally-safe disposal of PCBs and PCB-containing waste products in 2012.

Since there are no specialized plants for eliminating PCB-containing waste in the Republic of Belarus an international tender was held for performing the packaging, transportation and elimination of the above-mentioned waste. In the outcome of the tender Tredi SA (France) had been chosen as the contractor. Tredi SA is one of the most prominent European companies, which specializes in eliminating the mentioned type of the waste. Disposal takes place at the plant belonging to Tredi SA which is located in Saint-Vulbas.

This particular organization has transported and eliminated PCB-containing waste products from 14 Belarusian enterprises and organizations: 

1. RUE Grodnoenergo, Minojty village, Lida district, Hrodno region
2. Belshina OJSC, Bobruisk, Mogilev region
3. OJSC “Naftan” plant Polymir, Novopolotsk, Vitebsk region
4. RUE “Minsk Tractor Works”, Minsk
5. JSC “Minsk Automobile Plant”, Minsk
6. Etanol Medical and Alcohol-Containing Products Manufacturing Plant Republican Unitary Enterprise, Mozyr, Homel region
7. PO “Belaruskali”, Soligorsk, Minsk region
8. RUE “Polesieelektromash”, Luninets, Brest region
9. Belarusian Railway
10. RUE “Novopolotsk protein-vitamin concentrate plant”, Novopolotsk, Vitebsk region
11. BELCARD JSC, Hrodno
12. JSC “Mozyr Oil Refinery”, Mozyr, Homel region
13. RUE “Vitebskenergo”, Vitebsk
14. RUE works “Mogilevliftmash”, Mogilev

The works on the packaging and export of PCB-containing waste products lasted from July 2011 till August 2012. The project has given us the following results:

(a)    13 506 capacitors, 23 transformers, 27 reservoirs with liquid PCBs from 14 facilities found on the territory of Belarus have been packaged (repackaged) in compliance with the national and international standards;

(b)   An environmentally-safe transportation and elimination in France of 823,1 tons of PCB-containing waste products in compliance with the Stockholm and Basel conventions and also in compliance with the EU legislation (European Agreement concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road (ADR) and with the schedule of the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union № 1013/2006 on waste transportation, issued on June 14, 2006;

The overall expenditure on the works on the elimination of PCBs summed up to be 896 370 Euros. 718 000 Euros has been provided by the International Technical Assistance and 178 370 Euro was provided by the enterprises and organizations - owners of waste products containing PCBs.

In the outcome of the works on the elimination of PCB-containing waste in France the overall quantity of PCBs found in the republic was reduced by 17 %.