Mátrai Erőmű Zrt. together with its environmental protection-related projects and landscaping activity assumes the obligation that the characteristic face, ample flora and fauna of Mátraalja shall not suffer from any kind of damages.

Landscaping

On areas where no mining occurs any more the technical then biological landscaping is started immediately. The company continuously performs rehabilitating the dump surfaces of strip-mined areas also considering the obligation to remove top soil. The possibilities of recycling on the area of dumping-grounds are to establish arable, gross and forest lands.

Out of 5150 ha used by mines since 1965, more than 1500 ha have been landscaped where agricultural production occurs on 95 hectares and stocking takes place on the rest (1 ha =

10,000 m2). The main purpose is to have a beautiful environment matching landscape in any abandoned mining area, the adverse landscape effect is to be done away with, the wildlife and birds characteristic of Mátra, a Bükk and the Great Hungarian Plain are to be spread all over.

Protection of water quality

Both the power plant and mining domains pay special attention to the protection of surface and subsurface waters and drinking water bases. The Markazi-storage basin to provide industrial water for Mátrai Erőmű also offers recreational and sports opportunities. A primary settling and purifying pond was established in order to protect water quality that will promote maintaining the biological and ecological balance of pond.

Any industrial and communal sewage waters generated in power plant and mines are collected by separate systems of canals and purified in purifying plants for industrial or communal sewage water.

Dewatering mines is the technological part to strip mining. This joint-stock company makes efforts in order that only the subterranean water absolutely necessary for safe mining will be taken out. The exploitation of subterranean waters taken out is primarily for providing drinking and industrial water supply and – through providing the replacement of any ponds or surface water courses – ecological purposes.

Protection of air purity

Among others, the company's most outstanding tasks of protecting air purity is to reduce the emission into air space of any solid or gaseous air-polluting materials in flue-gas generated in the steam generators of power plant and also observe any emission limits meeting the standards of European Union as well.

Dust emission is remarkably reduced by the Lurgi- and Heg-type electrofilters and 99.5 to 99.7% of fly ash is separated by them. The generation of carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxides is below limit and the conversions in combustion chamber are accomplished in order to reduce them further. A considerable quantity of sulphur dioxide is generated when coal-fired power plants are operated. Mátrai Erőmű has been operating a desulphurising system for flue gas that operates with wet lime process. The absorbers were built inside cooling towers which is unique all over the world. Since then this power plant has also met the EU expectations in terms of sulphur dioxide emission.

This is also a prioritised task of protecting air purity to reduce the air-polluting surface effects  of waste lands and dirt roads in the plant. In order to provide this the most frequently used mining roads are given solid road surface and all roads with no road surface are wetted regularly. Also the so-called technology for removing ash with thick slurry has been introduced.

The power plant operates a measuring system for environmental protection in order to control dust, carbon dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, and sulphur dioxide emissions, a monitoring network for immission in the broader region of power plant and mines that measures the dust, sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxide load on environment is operated.

Mátrai Erőmű Zrt. has been operating as a reliable and stable electricity-producer in the European electricity market in the beginning of the twenty-first century as well. In the long run, the company's objective is to maintain and further expand its market share through development, investments and expanding the scope of activity.