Disposal of Mercury Contaminated Waste in HIP-Petrohemija Completed

The waste consists of metallic mercury, which was previously used as a cathode in the production process at the Electrolysis Factory, in line with the standard industrial practice of the time. During the 1999 bombing, the factory suffered extensive damage, and part of the equipment containing mercury remained partially operational thereafter. Since the production process was suspended, approximately 20 tonnes of metallic mercury remained in the equipment, while over the years around 80 tonnes of waste have been generated in total within the factory through cleaning activities.

All equipment has now been completely emptied, all waste that had been stored in plastic drums since 1999 has been properly repackaged and transported for destruction, and the contact packaging as well as the production hall of the Electrolysis Factory have been cleaned of mercury residues.

The elimination of this waste from the complex is primarily due to the efforts of our colleagues from the HIP-Petrohemija Environmental Protection Sector – Dubravka Sarić, Sanja Danković, and Radovan Perović – led by the Head of the Sector, Ivana Belušević. By eliminating the potential risk, not only to the complex but also to the wider environment, they have made a significant contribution to improving safety.

As Ivana Belušević explains, monitoring showed that the contamination did not extend beyond the plant boundaries, as rigorous preventive and corrective measures had been applied throughout all the years. Following the acquisition of HIP-Petrohemija by NIS, the Electrolysis Factory was fenced off, and all unauthorised access was prohibited.

– In Serbia, there were no internationally harmonised regulations that would allow the export of this specific type of hazardous waste. Only with the adoption of the official Convention (Minamata) in 2024 were all the conditions in place to carry out this complex project – says Ivana Belušević.

– The greatest challenges were related to the collection of technical documentation and information. I would particularly like to highlight the contribution of our colleague Simo Ilić, whose expert knowledge of the electrolysis process enabled the draining of metallic mercury from the process equipment – she points out.

As Ivana further explained, one of the first and greatest achievements was identifying a facility capable of accepting metallic mercury and mercury-contaminated sludge for permanent disposal. In parallel, it was necessary to select a contractor that met the strict requirements for the execution of the works. An additional achievement was obtaining the export permit, which was a key step in completing the project and implementing it in a safe and controlled manner.

The project implementation team consisted of more than 15 colleagues with diverse areas of expertise – environmental protection specialists, technologists, mechanical and civil engineers, as well as representatives of the contractor.

– I am proud of the brave team led by Ivana, who carried out a highly challenging task. The project was excellently planned and executed in a safe, efficient, and error-free manner – said Goran Stojilković, Director of HIP-Petrohemija, adding:

– The team managed by Ivana, together with Sanja, Dubravka and Nemanja Lekić, with the support of Mirjana Filipović, our Government Relations Manager, also completed the removal of 1,600 tonnes of liquid hydrocarbon residue this year. This was also historical contamination and formed part of our contractual obligations.

By successfully delivering these extremely complex tasks, a team has been formed within HIP-Petrohemija that is capable of providing expert support to the Republic of Serbia when it begins implementing its share of responsibilities under the Remediation Plan – Goran Stojilković pointed out.

– For a project of this magnitude, every small step is in fact a major step forward – and every major achievement is a reason to smile for the team that made it all happen – Ivana Belušević proudly concluded. 

* The Remediation Plan is an important document under the Strategic Partnership Agreement between HIP-Petrohemija and NIS