Quiet opening of Ammonia
About how one of the major investment projects of Tatarstan started without official opening and even has reached its planned production capacity.
The megaproject on production of nitrogen fertilizers Ammonia, founded in Mendeleevsk, started its production in December and has already reached its planned production capacity. Thus, the first of its kind plant for production of ammonia, methanol and carbamide has been officially launched in Russia. Noteworthy, the start of production, that has attracted the attention of the leadership of the Republic, was held without even an official opening. Now the output will depend on the market's needs.
The project has been realized.
Surprisingly quietly and without any public attention one of the largest Tatarstan's projects — a complex for production of fertilizers Ammonia — started its work in Mendeleevsk. This information has been confirmed today by the Republican officials at a briefing. The Deputy Chief Executive Officer of JSC Tatneftekhiminvest-Holding Leisan Abzalilova declared that the plant 'has already reached its planned production capacity', talking about a concept of Kama industrial cluster. One of the cluster's priorities she mentioned the construction of the second similar complex. Another officials also has confirmed this information. 'It is already producing products,' — said Minister of Transport and Roads of the Republic of Tatarstan Lenar Safin. As Minister of Economy of RT Artyom Zdunov said, the plant started its work in December. The project has reached its planned production capacity, the project has been realized. It means that we have launched the technological structure correctly, capacity was reached. We clearly understand that investments reached their goal. Now the work of the enterprise depends on the market, in other words, on demand,' — he said. However, nobody said whether the official opening is going to be.
Petrov gives the green light
Meanwhile, as it became known to Realnoe Vremya, Volga region Department of Rostechnadzor issued a conclusion on the readiness for operation of Ammonia only on 30 December of last year. 'Due to the field audit of object of capital construction and in accordance with the Decree of the government <...> from 30 December 2015, Volga region Department of Rostechnadzor issued a conclusion on compliance of the constructed object of capital building with requirements of technical regulations, other regulatory legal acts and project documentation, including requirements for energy efficiency and requirements for provision with equipment of object of capital construction by devices of accounting of used energy resources by the complex for production of ammonia, methanol and carbamide on the territory of the industrial zone of Mendeleevsk in the Republic of Tatarstan OJSC Ammonia,' — said a head of Rostechnadzor Boris Petrov. We note that planned capacity of the plant — about 717 000 tonnes of urea, more than 230 000 tonnes of methanol, to 380 000 tonnes of ammonium nitrate per year. Of ammonia it is planned to produce fertilizers for agriculture — urea and ammonium nitrate. 30% of it will be sold in Russia (in particular, to nearby plant of fertilizer Mendeleevskazot — editor's note), the other 70% — in the CIS countries, Europe and Asia.
To find 1 billion cubic meters of natural gas
The construction works officially finished on 2 October 2015, earlier told the Chief Executive Officer of Ammonia Sergey Shevchenko. But initially the plant was supposed to start last August. In the summer the plant produced the first test consignment of ammonia and urea. 'In fact, from that moment the plant began to complete its design capacity. Ammonia is designed for annual processing of gas to 1 billion cubic meters of natural gas,' — said the head of the company.
Ammonia is under construction in Tatarstan since 2011, the General contractor is Japanese company Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, contractor — Chinese CNCEC. The project cost numbered at $1 billion, the Japan Bank for International Cooperation provided with credit funds for its implementation. At the end of September, the President of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov said that the complex was going to be launched in 'the coming days'. However, the official opening did not take place. It seems strange, considering the fact that the Republic has a tradition to hold an opening officially and with participation of senior officials not only of all largest companies, but also of medium-sized plants, as well as socially significant objects. As a rule, the President attends personally the opening ceremony of all projects with foreign participation: for example, he comes at the opening of every plant in the SEZ Alabuga.
