Kim sent the sludge to Korea to see if it could be used to repair roads in Mykolaiv

However, Vitalii Kim did not specify which particular type of sludge samples had been sent to South Korea for research. There are several large industrial sludge storage sites in the territory controlled by Ukraine, including the sludge storage sites of the Zaporizhstal steelworks, chemical industry facilities in Sumy, and industrial storage sites in Kamianske. The most well-known in Ukraine are the sludge fields of the Mykolaiv Alumina Plant, where 48 million tonnes of so-called red sludge have accumulated.

«Since 2023, we have had a cooperation programme in place with South Korea and major companies. They have provided assistance, and there are already some results; some of the projects have been implemented. In particular, we have sent samples of the sludge found in Ukraine,» said Vitalii Kim.

He added that in South Korea, an experimental section of road had been built using this material, which had stood for about a year and shown positive results in terms of durability.

«In Korea, they used it (the sludge, — note) to build an experimental section of road. It stood for a year and showed good results. We are now awaiting certification of this technology so that we can subsequently propose it for use,» he noted.

At the same time, the possibility of launching a pilot project directly in the Mykolaiv region is being considered. This is an environmental initiative that involves the disposal of accumulated sludge whilst simultaneously using it in infrastructure projects.

«I would like to implement this in the Mykolaiv region as a pilot project and an environmental programme. This would allow us to utilise the accumulated sludge and, from a financial perspective, make it feasible. We are currently awaiting the relevant documents and are considering this as one of around 10 projects we will be working on,» added Vitalii Kim.

MGZ sludge fields. Photo: The Gate

As a reminder, in 2022, the Mykolaiv Alumina Plant announced plans to process red sludge and use it as raw material for construction materials, in particular cement. At the time, the company reported that it was conducting research and development work in this area, and was also assessing the possibility of utilising around 180,000 tonnes of sludge per year for subsequent use in construction.

Sludge fields at the Mykolaiv Alumina Plant. Photo: The Gate

Sludge fields at the Mykolaiv Alumina Plant. Photo: The Gate

The Mykolaiv Alumina Plant — an environmental «time bomb»

The plant, which has been out of operation for five years now, has become far more dangerous to the environment than it was when operating at full capacity. This view was expressed by the head of the State Environmental Inspectorate, Ihor Zubovych, in response to an information request from NikVesti regarding the situation at the Mykolaiv Alumina Plant since the start of the full-scale war.

According to the information that NikVesti received from the State Environmental Inspectorate, on 19 July 2022, the Mykolaiv Alumina Plant reported that, due to shelling in the vicinity of sludge storage facility №2, the processing of the surface of the deposited red sludge in the facility’s basins had been hampered, giving rise to risks of red sludge dusting.

As a result, the plant is treating only a third of the area of sludge storage facility №2: «hostilities in the vicinity of sludge storage facility №2 and damage to the dust suppression system lines, making their repair difficult; the inability to service the dust suppression system due to the freezing of the plant’s accounts. At the same time, maintenance of sludge storage facility №1 is being carried out in full by wetting the area using the company’s own resources».

Slurry fields at the Mykolaiv Alumina Plant. Photo: The Gate

Slurry fields at the Mykolaiv Alumina Plant. Photo: The Gate

Twice in August 2022, once in September 2022 and once in January 2023, the Mykolaiv Alumina Plant reported that, due to increased wind speeds, uncontrolled dust emissions were observed from one of the sludge ponds, which could have caused contamination of land plots outside their sanitary protection zone. The company then activated the dust suppression system at sludge storage facility №2.

However, due to a shortage of staff, the company was unable to carry out dust suppression work on the sludge storage area №1.

Uncontrolled dusting of sludge from the company’s sludge fields continued to occur throughout 2023: in May, July, August (twice) and September (four times).

Until July 2022, maintenance work on the dust suppression systems at sludge storage facility No. 2, including the restoration of the system following shelling, was carried out by a contractor, which ceased providing services because MAP had not paid them for their work for almost six months.

In the spring of 2023, operations at the company’s sludge ponds became critical:

1. the level of slurry water in the working basin of sludge storage facility №1 exceeded the permissible limit, posing a risk of pollution to the waters of the Bug Estuary, located 300 metres from the sludge field.
2. The sludge accumulation in sludge storage facility №2 has reached a critical level, with a higher alkalinity than in sludge storage facility №1. Overflowing of this storage facility will lead to the contamination of the surrounding agricultural land.
3. The problem of significant dusting from the sludge in field № 2 persists, which may cause air pollution. This is due to the fact that a «dry» storage method is used there, which requires constant monitoring and moistening of the surface.
4. The sprinkler system for dust suppression (necessary for moistening the sludge), which was in operation at the plant, was damaged and rendered inoperable during the hostilities.

In July 2025, the State Environmental Inspectorate of the South-Western District informed the Minister of Economy and the Environment that the waste situation at the Mykolaiv Alumina Plant was deteriorating. Environmentalists warned of the risk of a sludge reservoir breach and pollution of the Bug Estuary.

On 26 April 2026, stormy winds began to scatter sludge from the Mykolaiv Alumina Plant’s sludge storage facilities across the outskirts of Mykolaiv — waste left over from the processing of bauxite into alumina.

That evening, the Mykolaiv Regional State Administration assured the public that the situation at the plant’s sludge fields had been brought under control.

The State Environmental Inspectorate of the South-Western District reported that the dust suppression system at the Mykolaiv Alumina Plant had been partially restored. It is currently operating at approximately 70% capacity.