Transport and industry pollute air in equal volumes in Bashkiria

The total amount of air emissions amounted to 930 thousand tons in Bashkiria in 2019. Of these, 470 thousand tons were produced by stationary sources, which include industry and energy sector, and 460 thousand tons of pollution got into the air from mobile sources, that is, vehicles.

The almost equal volume of emissions from transport and industry occurred primarily due to the introduction in Russia of a new methodology for calculating the number of harmful substances emitted by automobiles. For example, in Ufa in 2010, emissions from cars were estimated at 220 thousand tons, and in 2016, according to the new calculation method, - at 81.6 thousand tons. A decrease in the estimated volume of emissions by more than 2.5 times happened amid a significant increase in the fleet of the republican capital.

In 2019, over 60 measures were taken by the republican enterprises to reduce atmospheric air pollution, the overall environmental effect of which amounted to 59 thousand tons.

Reducing environmental damage from cars depends on improving the road network of cities and switching vehicles to new, cleaner types of fuel, in particular natural gas - methane. According to estimates, the conversion of only municipal vehicles of the republic to gas fuel will reduce emissions by 10 thousand tons per year.

In 2020, it is planned to build seven new automobile gas-filling compressor stations (CNG filling stations) in Bashkiria. Now there are 17 CNG stations in the region, including two private and 15 belonging to Gazprom. The largest number of methane gas stations was built in Ufa; there are five of them. In Sterlitamak and Salavat, there are two such objects, and in the remaining settlements - one at a time.