Tatarstan petrochemical complex relies on investment projects

Production growth feeds the budget

The enterprises of the petrochemical complex of the Republic of Tatarstan shipped products worth 1,26 trillion rubles over 9 months of the year, which corresponds to last year's levels. The results of work in the industry were announced by Director General of Tatneftekhiminvest-Holding Rafinat Yarullin. According to him, the production volumes have increased by 2%, oil production — by 2,1%, the level of production — by 5,5%, plastic products — by 14,5%.

“Since the beginning of the year, 27,5 million tonnes of oil and over 13 million tonnes of oil products have been produced,” Yarullin said. “506 thousand tonnes of rubbers, 1,32 million tonnes of plastics, 7,5 million tires have been produced.”

According to him, this allowed the basic enterprises of the complex to increase allocations to the budgets of all levels by 14%, up to 338 billion rubles. The growth of allocations is observed at Tatneft, Nizhnekamskneftekhim, Ammonia, Khimgrad.

“57 billion rubles have been transferred to the consolidated budget of the republic, this corresponds to the level of last year,” said the speaker. According to him, Nefis Cosmetics, Tatneft tire complex, Kvart and a number of other enterprises have reduced payments.

What to make money in a crisis

Yarullin's report said that against the background of negative factors associated with global economic trends and the decline in real incomes of the Russian population, which shifted demand towards budget products, the production at the basic enterprises of the petrochemical complex of Tatarstan in January-September 2019 decreased by 3%.

The problems with contractors resulted in a reduction in the production of rubbers, carbon black and tires. Tatneft has signed an agreement with SIBUR on the acquisition of assets in Togliatti to ensure stable supplies of raw materials to the plants of the republic, Rafinat Yarullin said.

The head of the holding said that production volumes at Ammonia fell by 5% because of a reduction in methanol production and a major overhaul of the enterprise.

However, Kazanorgsintez increased polyethylene and polymer production. While a rise in prices for carbamide together with a lower price for natural gas allowed Ammonia to boost sales from 10 to 15%.

Kvart recovered production in the third quarter to the 2018 level despite the crisis. Tatneft’s tyre enterprises managed to recover sales of usual lorry tyres to last year’s level. The gap in car tyre sales has reduced.

Investment projects to help

Thanks to investment projects, Tatneft refinery produced 810,000 tonnes of petrol, doubled diesel fuel production, while oil product sales income increased by 17%.

It is planned to complete projects to launch heavy coker gas oil hydrotreatment at TANECO JSC, expand tyre production in Nizhnekamsk and manufacture of three-layer tubular film at Kazan Polymer Plant in Tatarstan’s gas and petrochemical complex till the end of 2019, the head of Tatneftekhiminvest-holding said.

According to him, six investment projects including the launch of a polymer plant in Rostov Oblast and flexible packaging production in the Czech Republic have already been implemented this year.

The genius of Lemayev and technologies of the future

Participants of the session keenly heard out memories of Vice Board Chairman of SIBUR Holding PJSC Vladimir Razumov about his personal meetings with first director of Nizhnekamskneftekhim Nikolay Lemayev whose 90^th jubilee is celebrated in 2019.

After his speech, the president of Tatarstan asked to communicate these memories to the holding’s board of directors “in written form for publication”:

“We talk about such people who changed the republic little,” Rustam Minnikhanov noted.

The next three speeches aroused a purely pragmatic interest. Head of Laboratory in the Frumkin Institute of Physical Chemistry and Electrochemistry of the Russian Academy of Sciences Aleksandr Ponomaryov talked about the application of industrial electron accelerators, particularly in water treatment.

Managing Director at UROS GROUP in CIS countries, Central and Eastern Europe Vladimir Oleschenko also talked about technologies that could be used on Tatarstan industrial sites. Oleschenko particularly said about systems based on an electrochemical reaction principle and allowing monitoring water bodies contaminated by industrial sewage. He noted that such a system had already been assembled in Kazan Vodokanal.

And Director of the Institute of Ecology and Subsoil Management Rifgat Shafigullin made proposals for recultivation of silt detention ponds of Kazan Vodokanal with sewage sediment treatment with quicklime and activated zeolite. Rustam Minnikhanov asked about the value of the project. The reporter said it could cost from 4 to 6 billion rubles. Answering a question about financing sources, Shafigullin replied that the money given to Tatarstan within Volga Rehabilitation national project could be used. During a further discussion, it became clear the institute had opponents — Finnish specialists developed their proposals to recultivate sewage sediment for Kazan.