An experimental solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) unit with a capacity of 2.5 kW produced in Russia was studied. It was determined that the carbon footprint of the SOFC unit manufacturing process amounts to 3628.2 kg CO₂-eq., while the carbon footprint of the generated electricity (excluding fuel-related emissions) is 20.4 g CO₂-eq./(kWh) with minimal equipment service life. It is noted that optimization of operating modes and extension of equipment lifetime ensure a carbon footprint of electricity (excluding fuel-related emissions) of 14.1 g CO₂-eq./(kWh). It is concluded that the transition to serial production and optimization of SOFC unit operating conditions will make it possible to achieve an electricity production cost of 8 RUB/(kWh).

To reduce the environmental impact of the alumina production sludge storage facility, engineering solutions were developed for the local treatment of wastewater and surface runoff from the industrial storm drainage system. The proposed system prevents the discharge of untreated wastewater into natural water bodies and ensures the return of treated water for reuse in the technological process of alumina and soda byproduct production. It is noted that the implementation of local treatment facilities will allow the accumulation not only of industrial storm drainage wastewater but also of effluents from sludge ponds, thereby preventing their discharge into a technogenic stream in the sludge storage area and ensuring treatment to the established regulatory standards. It is concluded that the return of treated wastewater to the process of nepheline ore processing reduces the withdrawal of fresh water from the river by 14 million m³ per year.

To increase the efficiency of ash and dust removal in electrostatic precipitators, it is proposed to introduce microquantities of conditioning agents into the flue gas stream that improve the electrophysical properties of coal ash, such as sulfur trioxide. Structured catalytic systems for the oxidation of SO₂ present in flue gases were studied, based on platinum fiberglass catalysts that can be positioned directly in the flue duct, partially blocking its cross-section in the high-temperature zone (~450 °C). A modification of the catalyst layer configuration and its hydraulic resistance is recommended, which allows control of the gas volume passing through the catalytic block and, consequently, regulation of the SO₃ concentration in the flue gases before the electrostatic precipitator. It is concluded that this approach can significantly enhance the environmental efficiency of coal-fired thermal power plants without costly reconstruction of electrostatic precipitators, installation of a separate catalytic reactor or the use of an external sulfur source.

The results of studies of chemical and phase compositions, structural features, physico-chemical and physical properties of ash and slag mixtures of boiler stations Amazar, Chernyshevsk Zabaikalsky and Borzya (Zabaikalskaya Railway) are presented. The investigation revealed that the specific effective activity of natural radionuclides ranged from 217 to 306 Bq/kg, which complies with regulatory requirements for the application of these waste materials in road construction applications. It has been established that these mixtures can be effectively utilized as inert porous fillers in composite material formulations. The findings demonstrate that the mineralogical composition and heterogeneous pore space of the fly ash-slag mixtures have the potential to enhance the thermophysical properties of resulting composite materials.