Nizhnekamskneftekhim's developments highly praised at Tatarstan Oil, Gas and Petrochemical Forum

“The forum has taken a significant place among regional exhibitions”

The grand opening ceremony of the Tatarstan Oil, Gas and Petrochemical Forum — one of the largest international industry events in Russia — was held at the Kazan Expo international exhibition centre in Kazan on 2 September. The forum brought together three exhibitions at once: the 27th international specialized exhibition Oil, Gas. Petrochemistry, 10th specialised exhibition GEO-KAZAN: Geological Survey. Geodesy. Cartography, and 6th specialised exhibition Interplastica Meeting Point Kazan. This is a place for business meetings of the industrial and business community, where they exchange experience, ideas and relevant information on key topics of the industry.

For the first time in connection with the coronavirus pandemic, the forum has been held in both traditional and online formats. Due to closed borders, not all participants had the opportunity to come to the capital of Tatarstan.

“We've all missed such events. I am sure that this forum is in demand and needed. I would like to thank each of you and thank those who have prepared their expositions. Our work will also be carried out online. I would like to wish everyone fruitful work. Look after yourself. Coronavirus still exists," Rustam Minnikhanov greeted the forum guests from the stage.

The president of Tatarstan also noted that despite the pandemic the majority of partners still had come for the forum.

“The forum has taken a significant place among regional exhibitions. I want you to exchange opinions and develop new technologies here. Today, the fuel and energy sector is an advanced industry that drives the economy not only for Tatarstan but also for the whole of Russia. This is the basis for the development of our state," said Deputy Minister of Energy of the Russian Federation Anton Inyutsyn.

After the opening ceremony, Tatarstan President Rustam Minnikhanov accompanied by Deputy Energy Minister of Russia Anton Inyutsyn, Deputy Prime Minister of Tatarstan — Minister of Industry and Trade of Tatarstan Albert Karimov, President of the Union of Oil and Gas Producers Gennady Schmal, Director General of TAIF JSC Ruslan Shigabutdinov went to see over the exhibition stands.

“The market is waiting, and we will give this product to the market”

Traditionally, TAIF Group presented a joint stand at the forum, which also turned out to be one of the largest ones. The delegation of officials began their tour around the exhibition with Nizhnekamskneftekhim PJSC, where the company's director general, Ayrat Safin, spoke about the company's current activities and the implementation of large-scale projects until 2025.

“While I'm speaking, you can use our antiseptic, which is produced at Nizhnekamskneftekhim. We are the first to obtain the certificate of its compliance as a disinfectant," Ayrat Safin said before the presentation. “We traditionally produce rubbers — 40% are sold to Europe. During the pandemic, we had difficulties in implementing it and pricing it. Thank you, Mr Minnikhanov, for the support you've provided during this time. We continue to produce plastics, mainly sold on the domestic market of the country. Thanks to this, our economy is kept afloat.

During the presentation, the director general of Nizhnekamskneftekhim also acquainted the forum guests with the main investment programmes that the company plans to implement by 2025.

For example, by the end of 2020, Nizhnekamskneftekhim plans to launch the production of styrene-butadiene rubber, which is necessary for green tyres — environmentally friendly, with improved performance. The tyres made of divinyl-styrene synthetic rubber (DSSK) have good wear resistance, frost resistance and dynamic endurance. The production capacity for the production of DSSK is 60,000 tonnes a year.

Currently, commissioning works are underway at the new production facility. More than 900 people are involved in the construction site, and 90% of the work has been completed.

“We are one of the largest rubber manufacturers in the world. By expanding our product range, we show our customers that we are a leading company in the field of rubber production," Ayrat Safin said later in an interview with the Realnoe Vremya journalist. “We plan to launch DSSK in accordance with the schedule. Many tire companies have already tested our rubber and highly praised it. The market is waiting, and we will give this product to the market.

Together with DSSK, the company continues to develop the production of functionalised anionic polymerisation butadiene rubbers. This series of special rubbers should complement the processing of the company's existing range of butadiene rubbers.

Every year, Nizhnekamskneftekhim introduces facilities for the production of new products. Among the latest achievements — the development of production of its own catalyst KDI-M, high-molecular polyethylene glycol and methoxypolyethylene glycol. This product is intended for the production of surfactants, plasticizers of concrete mixes.

The new olefins complex EP-600 and the power plant CCGT-TPP

As part of the company's strategic development programme, the implementation of Nizhnekamskneftekhim anchor projects continues. First of all, it is the construction of the new complex for the production of olefins (EP-600) and the construction of the PSU-TPP power station with a capacity of 495 MW.

“We have launched the project of the new olefin complex this year. Now the equipment is being supplied by Linde company from all parts of the world. The planned commissioning of production is the second quarter of 2023," said Ayrat Safin.

Nine hundred and eighty people and 135 pieces of equipment have been mobilised at the facility. Fifteen columns have been mounted at the site of EP-600, the works on the construction of foundation pits with a volume of more than 260,000 cubic metres have been performed, more than 24,000 piles inserted, the foundations of more than 33,000 cubic metres made.

During this navigation period, 80% of large-size technological equipment has been delivered to Nizhnekamsk for the EP-600 ethylene complex. The fifth ship with a large cargo docked in the port at the end of August. Two more ships are expected to arrive in October.

Nizhnekamskneftekhim also continues to implement a project to build a new power plant with a capacity of 495 MW. The combined cycle thermal power plant will produce electric energy for own needs of the company. The main equipment and more than 60% of auxiliary equipment have been delivered to the site. Electrical works, the installation of heat and mechanical equipment and pipelines have been completed by 50%. General construction works are currently being completed. The new power plant, which is planned to be put into operation in 2021, will reduce the load on the atmosphere by burning gas in special burners of gas turbine units.

Large-scale environmental project

As a large industrial enterprise, Nizhnekamskneftekhim PJSC pays constant attention to environmental issues. The company completed the second stage of the large-scale reconstruction of biological treatment facilities and the construction of a new 15 km long industrial waste water collector last year. The collector increased the capacity of the system for transporting wastewater to treatment facilities, increased its safety and reduced the environmental burden.

During the second stage of the reconstruction of biological treatment facilities, outdated mechanical treatment facilities for chemically polluted wastewater — sand traps — were replaced, a collector switching chamber was built, and additional treatment stages were included in the technological scheme in the form of a pool for collecting trap product and a sewage preaeration unit. At the mechanical treatment unit, one of the best technologies in Europe for treatment of steam-gas mixtures — the biofiltration method — was introduced. Specialists selected a system of biofilters with a treatment efficiency of up to 95%.

In total, more than 3 billion rubles were allocated for the reconstruction of the BTF and the construction of an off-site industrial reservoir. In general, 423 activities have been implemented within the framework of the 4th environmental programme for 2014-2020. The total cost of environmental protection for this period was about 29 billion rubles.

Besides, Nizhnekamskneftekhim purchased and launched a special mobile ecomonitoring post that gives the opportunity to quickly take a complete environmental sample of the atmospheric air at any geographical point in the Nizhnekamsk region. The measures implemented under the fourth environmental programme made it possible to improve environmental performance indicators from 2014 to 2019 and reduce the specific consumption of raw materials by 9,7%, water for technical needs — by 10,2%, air emissions — by 18,6%, and heat energy costs — by 6,2%.

The winners of two competitions were awarded within the framework of the Tatarstan Oil, Gas, and Petrochemical Forum. Nizhnekamskneftekhim was awarded several honourary distinctions at once. Nizhnekamskneftekhim won a diploma for winning the nomination The Leader Of Innovations in the field of production and processing of rubbers and rubber products. Nizhnekamskneftekhim received the award for the development of synthetic cis-butadiene SKDN, which is characterized by a narrow molecular weight distribution and improved dynamic characteristics of rubber compounds.

According to the results of the competition for energy-efficient equipment and technologies, Nizhnekamskneftekhim became the winner of the Grand Prix diploma in the New Products category. The diploma was awarded for products with new or improved characteristics in terms of minimising the specific costs of fuel and energy resources and materials in their production. Nizhnekamskneftekhim received the award for the production of functionalized DSSK rubber of the 5th generation with a capacity of 60,000 tonnes a year. The diploma was presented to Director General of Nizhnekamskneftekhim Ayrat Safin by Prime Minister of the Republic of Tatarstan Aleksey Pesoshin.

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