Energy and metallurgy holding company En+ ranked 11th this year, up from 21st last year, in Forbes’ list of largest investment companies. En+ External Communication Department Director Olga Sanarova talked about this at the press conference held in Moscow.
“The volume of En+ investments in 2022 amounted to 118.5 billion rubles, and this figure did not go unnoticed,” he said. Funds were allocated not only to the modernization of hydroelectric power plants, thermal power plants and small-scale energy projects, but also to the improvement of the environment. The company also invested $56 million in social projects.
“We are one of the few large private companies and this is a high level of responsibility, when you own almost half of Siberia you are responsible for coziness, warmth and comfort. And everything we do, we do for each person,” emphasized En+ Deputy General Manager Vera Kurochkina.
He noted that in November 2022, the Holding launched an urban development index and today it “has received quite clear outlines”.
Thus, according to him, the total number of people benefiting from En+ social projects in 2023 exceeded 262 thousand.
“At the end of last year, 875 of our employees became activists; Volunteers ready to help in life’s most difficult situations. We have 2.5 million regular users who are actively involved in our social networks within the scope of volunteering and creative projects. This is an indicator of the demand for what we do,” added Kurochkina.
He also pointed out that the company invests in infrastructure development in the cities where it operates.
Natalya Albrecht, Deputy General Manager of En+ and Rusal Human Resources, talked about how the company retains its employees and attracts new ones.
“Parents want their children to receive a good education, quality medical care, so that they can receive higher education and have the opportunity to spend useful time in their city. Our work is aimed at exactly this: the development of medicine, the construction of martial arts centers. There will be 12 in total, we are starting the housing construction. The first blocks will accept new residents from Bratsk, Divnogorsk and Achinsk in 2025,” Albrecht said.
According to the senior manager, the company has established a system to attract young specialists, starting from school. An institutional research center has been created on the basis of Irkutsk University, which makes it possible to attract students to work in En+ projects, there is an “Academy of Information Technologies”, “Academy of Business Administration” and a special scholarship program to support talented students. The training portal “En+ Career at Rusal” has been launched.
En+ Deputy General Manager for Sustainable Development Anton Butmanov said that this year En+ published its second climate report on the movement towards carbon neutrality.
“Despite all the challenges, we remain committed to achieving net zero emissions by 2050,” he emphasized.
According to him, one of the strategic programs includes replacing the propellers of hydroelectric power plants, modernizing hydroelectric power plant equipment, etc. It contains “New Energy”.
Butmanov also stated that En+ continues to develop projects for new capacity of renewable energy sources, is working on a new power plant and wind farm project, and is expanding the capacity of the operating Abakan solar power plant.