Three jubilees, new power plant and pyrolysis ovens
The main anticipated events of TAIF Group in 2018
The coming year 2018 is going to be rich in celebrations for the largest diversified holding of Russia — TAIF Group. This year, two enterprises included in the structure of TAIF will celebrate their anniversaries. Rubin football club, the sponsor of which is TAIF Group, is going to celebrate its 60th anniversary. Read about these and other major events awaiting the holding of Tatarstan this year in the material of Realnoe Vremya online newspaper.
Nizhnekamskneftekhim will begin the construction of ethylene complex
The construction beginning of the ethylene complex at Nizhnekamskneftekhim PJSC can be called one of the major events in 2018. The construction works are scheduled for the autumn, and the commissioning is to take place in the middle of 2022. Thirty-six hectares were allocated for the complex, where will be build six high-performance pyrolysis ovens with a capacity of 120,000 tonnes of ethylene. The ethylene complex will use naphtha from the neighbouring refineries as a raw material. In addition to ethylene, it is planned the production of fuel gas, propylene, benzene, butadiene and other products at the new complex. The finished products will be used at the production facilities of the industrial site, and the surplus will be sold.
Let us recall that the main partner of TAIF Group in the construction of the ethylene complex is the international chemical corporation Linde Group. In June 2017, it was signed a memorandum on strategic cooperation between TAIF and Linde at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum. The project is designed until 2025, over this time, the total capacity of ethylene production is to reach 1,8 million tonnes a year, which will be the basis for development of the whole industrial site of the company.
Kazanorgsintez's double anniversary
The team of Kazanorgsintez PJSC will celebrate a double jubilee this year — 60 years since the foundation and 55 years from the date of the first products production. The decision of the Plenum of the Central Committee of the CPSU in 1958 gave the start to the construction of the Kazan chemical plant. The construction of the first production line began already the following year, and the first batch of phenol and acetone was produced on July 13, 1963.
Four largest ethylene production lines — Ethylene-200, ethylene oxide of the 1st and 2nd lines, LDPE of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd lines, the production of HDPE — in the 1960-1980s. The joining to TAIF Group in 2004 gave Kazanorgsintez a new impetus for development. It was adopted the programme of strategic development, which proclaimed the course for major reconstruction.
In close cooperation with TAIF Group, it was given the start to the construction of new plants of Bisphenol A and polycarbonates, it was modernized the production of low-pressure polyethylene and the high-pressure polyethylene plant, it was launched the plant Ethylene 500 on the basis of the ethylene complex. Updated Kazanorgsintez includes seven plants that produce 170 types of products. The production facilities occupy an area of 4,2 square kilometers. The enterprise employs more than 8,500 people.
Kazanorgsintez upgrades pyrolysis ovens
Modernization is a continuous process at industrial enterprises. In 2018, Kazanorgsintez is going to update three pyrolysis ovens. The contract for their supply was signed with Technip company already in 2016. Technip will be responsible for engineering and supply of three pyrolysis ovens, operating by the licensed technology SMK. The project support will be provided by the representation office of Technip in Zoetermeer (the Netherlands). It is also responsible for commissioning the equipment into operation this year.
The sources of project funding are loans and own funds. The capacity of the ovens will be 54 tonnes per hour. The total investment volume is estimated at 25 million euros. The pyrolysis ovens commissioning will allow to increase production capacity of ethylene, which is a raw material for the production of the main product of Kazanorgsintez — polyethylene.
In April 2017, at the annual meeting of the enterprise Director General of Kazanorgsintez PJSC Farid Minigulov stated, ''The supply of raw materials is a permanent problem for us. Our capacities allow to process more. The main raw material for polyethylene production is ethylene, which we produce ourselves. But the problem has not been finally solved. There is a shortage of ethylene in the region despite the fact that Nizhnekamskneftekhim produces it more than before. We are planning to solve this problem by 2020.''
Kazan CHPP-3 will celebrate its 50th anniversary
This year, the largest thermal power plant of Kazan, CHPP-3, celebrates the fiftieth anniversary. The launch of this station 50 years ago helped to provide the work of new industrial enterprises and to reduce heat load of the existing generating facilities.
The project of Kazan CHPP-3 was developed by the Gorkovsky department of All-Union State Design Institute Teploelektroproekt. The construction began in 1966. In December 1967, it was mounted and put into operation the first three peak water-heating boilers, and already on 1 January 1968 the station became one of the operational thermal power stations of the USSR.
Before 2010, Kazan CHPP-3 was part of Generating Company JSC (now — Tatenergo JSC), and then was purchased by the newly established energy company of TAIF Group, TGK-16 JSC. The purpose of buying assets was very clear and was actually hidden in plain sight. Emergency situations were frequent at the production facilities of the group of companies due to failures of electricity and heat supply. At the same time, the heat tariffs were so exorbitant that the share of energy costs in the production cost of final products of petrochemical companies accounted for more than 25%. ''This cannot continue this way anymore,'' said Director General of TAIF PSC Albert Shigabutdinov at the annual meeting of the shareholders in 2009. ''We will create our own energy from scratch.''
Having become the owner of the assets, TAIF began to develop a strategic programme to improve reliability and efficiency of the energy complex through its radical modernization, which has been successfully implemented at Kazan CHPP-3. Initially, there were implemented activities aimed at ensuring the reliability of electricity and heat production. Then it started the stage of complex reconstruction and modernization of the power plant to increase the efficiency and competitiveness of power generation. The most significant was the construction of the gas turbine unit, which is based on the unique gas turbine 9HA.01. There are no such analogues of such turbines in Russia today. Its commissioning has become the final chord of the complex modernization programme of Kazan CHPP-3.
New energy source in Nizhnekamskneftekhim
The construction of a new power plant on the basis of Nizhnekamskneftekhim can be called a continuation of the development of energy sector of TAIF Group. The main work will commence in the first quarter of this year. In addition to the energy problem, the energy source is designed to solve environmental one. In the process of production, Nizhnekamskneftekhim produces a great amount of products of associated petroleum gases processing, which are by-products of the basic technological processes. Before that, they were utilized in the torches or burned in furnaces at the productions of Nizhnekamskneftekhim.
Now waste will be disposed in the combustion chambers of gas turbines, wherein the process is carried out according to the environmental standards, meeting the stringent European and Russian requirements. Thus, the power plant will make a significant contribution in improving the environment of Nizhnekamsk. The agreement on construction of the new plant on a turnkey basis in Tatarstan in December was signed by TAIF PSC and the German concern Siemens in Munich in the presence of President of the Republic of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov and Deputy Prime Minister of Bavaria Ilse Aigner.
The project will be implemented by Siemens in cooperation with the subcontractor — the Turkish construction company ENKA. Siemens will supply two gas turbines SGT5-2000E and one steam turbine SST-600, as well as the equipment for energy distribution. At the same time, the parties agreed a preliminary agreement on long-term service of the major generating equipment of the station for a period of 13 years.
According to Albert Shigabutdinov, ''the necessity of implementing the project on construction of own power generation for industrial enterprises of Nizhnekamskneftekhim PJSC is dictated by the annual growth in electricity consumption in the conditions of production expansion and commissioning of new plants for processing of hydrocarbon raw materials, as well as year-on-year increasing expenditures on purchasing electric energy and power.'' The new facility is to be launched by May, 2021.
60th anniversary of Kazan Rubin
This year, football fans and lovers can congratulate the Kazan football club Rubin with the 60th anniversary. The club was founded in 1958, when there was the expansion of Class B of the USSR championship. The team from Kazan, Iskra, composed of players from several local teams, was included in the new tournament. The team of the aircraft factory No. 22 named after S. P. Gorbunov (now — KAPO named after Gorbunov), then representing the Leninsky district of Kazan, became basis for the new team. This enterprise remained the undisputed chief of the club until the end of the Soviet era.
In the break between the seasons of 1964 and 1965, the Kazan football club changed the name of Iskra to Rubin. The idea of the new name belonged to the board of the Kazan club. The name change coincided with the winning of the right to play in the Second Group of Class A.
The collapse of the USSR had a disastrous impact on the economic situation of the longstanding chief of the club – the Kazan Aircraft Production Association (KAPO named after S.P. Gorbunov). The existence of the team was called into question. The cooperation with the Kazan financial structure TAN helped to survive: in 1992-1993, the team even added the name of the sponsor to its own. But soon Rubin lost all its sponsors and was transferred on the financing of the city.
In 2017, at a Rubin board of trustees it was decided that TAIF Group would be the only sponsor of the club and would fully control the affairs in the team. Radik Shaimiev became new president of Rubin. Last year, before the start of the 2017/2018 season, he addressed to the fans, ''TAIF Group, for many years supporting the club, has made a responsible decision to take Rubin under its banners that say ''Power for Good!''. The upcoming season will be special for the fans, the team, the city and the republic — Rubin turns 60 in April 2018, and the glorious history of the club requires new legendary victories. We need to stand united, to become ''ruby'' family, to light Fire inside Stone! This is not an easy task, but I'm sure — eventually, though not immediately — we will smelt for Rubin worthy rim of gold medals and conquered peaks,'' said Shaimiev.
Before the beginning of the current season, Kurban Berdyev returned to the post of chief coach of the club. With this coach, who led the team for 12 years, it is associated with the most successful years in the 60-year history of the club. The return of Kurban Berdyev will start the process of renewal and growth of the team, which will lead to new victories.
Underground parking near Kazan National Culture Centre prior to the World Cup
Parking is a weak point in any megacity. Particularly acute this issue has become before the World Cup in Kazan. Trying to save the central streets near Kazan National Culture Centre from traffic jams in rush hours, in the fall of 2016 TAIF began the construction of a four-storey underground parking area of 52,590 square meters. The multi-level parking will accommodate 978 vehicles.
Tatarstan doesn't have this kind of underground parking with storeys and capacity. They cared about the conservation of Khariyat stele before starting the construction and assembly works. It was strengthened by jet grouting piles. The project of the new underground parking can be compared with the construction technology of the metropolitan.
But the width of the bus stop shelter in the metro is 25 metres while that of the parking is equal to 40 metres (and 270 metres of length). This is why we can confidently say that the project of the Kazan parking is more complicated. Everything is done to prepare the parking by the kick-off of the Football World Cup. The parking is expected to host the first car owners in May 2018.
New life of Lebyazhye lakes
This year the restoration works to revive the network of Lebyazhye lakes are coming to an end. Let us recall that TAIF PSC and Kazanorgsintez PJSC took part in the main part of the programme for improvement of water bodies. After completion of all works, the water table of the lake will increase sevenfold — from 4,2 hectares to 28 hectares. The unprecedented project is monitored by environmentalists and the leadership of Kazan. In an interview on TV channel Efir, Mayor of Kazan Ilsur Metshin highlighted the contribution of TAIF Group in the network of lakes:
''I would like to thank TAIF Group — it is the main investor. Together with the leadership of the city under the leadership of our president we gathered and took the resolute decision. TAIF is giving a great gift to Kazan by reviving the wealth of nature such as Lebyazhye lakes.''
In October 2017, it started the filling of Lebyazhye lakes with water. This year, near the lakes there will appear walking paths, lighting and other amenities. The opinion of the citizens will be taken into account when landscaping the adjacent territory. For this the special website has been created — swanlakes.tatar.