HR projects, steam engine and vacuum cleaner: what Tatneftekhiminvest-holding was shown

Petersburg technopark for Tatarstan’s small-tonnage chemistry

No industrial enterprise can be transformed in the 21^st century without suppliers of advanced technologies of automation and digitalisation. For this purpose, Tatneftekhiminvest-holding invites engineers and suppliers of the latest achievements in scientific and technological progress to deliver a speech at a meeting of the holding’s Board of Directors. The presence of such a platform significantly simplifies the search for would-be partners: top officials of large industrial enterprises, sectoral ministers and, of course, the Tatarstan president as board chairman of Tatneftekhiminvest-holding listen to presentations.

Yelena Petrova, head of the Regional Engineering Centre for Microreactor Synthesis of Active Pharmaceutical Substances created at Saint Petersburg Technopark JSC, opened the board meeting on 24 February. She was invited to Kazan to discuss a small-tonnage chemistry development programme. As Yelena Petrova explained herself, Director General of Tatneftekhiminvest-holding Rafinat Yarullin and Vice Director General, Vice President of Innokam Kama Innovation Territorial and Production Cluster Leysan Abzalilova had visited the centre in early February. The main objective is technological capabilities of the centre in developing microreactor synthesis technologies and the production of small-tonnage chemicals.

The head of the Regional Engineering Centre for Microreactor Synthesis of Active Pharmaceutical Substances described the specifics of each of the three superpowerful reactors that are designed for tests in chemistry in detail. The plate reactor is the closest to the industry, she said. According to her, the technological readiness of manufacturing enterprises is increased thanks to manufacturing processes and providing the performance of engineering, technological and organisational tasks in the pharmaceutical, chemical, perfume and cosmetics and food industries.

The Regional Engineering Centre for Microreactor Synthesis of Active Pharmaceutical Substances signed a memorandum of understanding with Tatarstan and began elaborating areas for mutually beneficial cooperation. However, specific areas of cooperation haven’t been determined yet, Yelena Petrova told Realnoe Vremya. The Prototype Centre is another sphere where a Russian 3D printer enabling to create shapes with deep internal cavities without waste was created. “The printers, indeed, are made in Russia,” Rafinat Yarullin confirmed.

Minnikhanov recommended Kazan Federal University and Kazan National Research and Technological University to establish relationships with the engineering centre. “It is a revolution, of course. The topic is interesting,” the Tatarstan president agreed.

Polystyrene disposal “on wheels”

After that, they switched to hot-button problems of keeping the urban environment clean. Director General of Kazan’s Danex company Yevgeny Nikonov offered using mobile units to dispose of expanded polystyrene waste. According to him, mobile units can collect and recycle waste even in the remotest places.

“Around 15 million tonnes of polystyrene are made a year,” Nikonov said. Its density is from 7 to 40 kg, this is why the capacity of a lorry is around 700 kg. For this reason, the cost of transportation of the product turns out to be higher, but it is unprofitable to bury the waste. “Optimally, it should be recycled on the site,” Nikonov said and showed the audience a white object.

Environmentally, recycling is harmless: styrene and other poisonous substances aren’t emitted in thermal destruction. The speaker says that the units operate in Naberezhnye Chelny. He asked for support in collecting polystyrene from regional operators, help to create warehouses across the republic and tax incentives. The new mobile unit will be launched in two months.

Bavly — the centre of oil equipment

Spetspromprogress oil service company from Bavly presented an innovative steam power generator to heat oil wells. According to Vice Director General Dmitry Vetluzhskikh, it is used at Gazpromneft’s oil fields in Buzuluk, which is the northernmost district.

“It is unique because the equipment doesn’t need water conditioning, authorisation in Russia’s industry safety watchdog. It is enough to take it to the water,” he noted. “Oil wells freeze very much in winter, while the equipment can be heated with the help of this unit. The maximum steam temperature is from 160 to 180 degrees, the capacity is 200 kg/h.”

Moreover, this unit generates steam using salt solution as Tatneft’s experiments showed.

“This can come in handy for emergency services, housing and utility services,” the Tatarstan president responded. “Bavly has a lot of oil equipment, but it didn’t have such technologies.”

“Vacuum cleaner” from Barnaul

Sibfors GC from Barnaul presented vacuum cleaning technologies for the first time at the meeting of the Board of Directors. The distinctive feature is that they don’t use the classic cyclone cleaner that slows down the flow of air and the dust is caught. It has know-how — a centrifugal purification compartment that sucks up the dust at a high speed like a home vacuum cleaner. According to the company’s representative Alexey Timagin, over 250 pieces of equipment operate in the country.

The first agreement was recently signed in Tatarstan. The Naberezhnye Chelny Cardboard and Paper Mill signed an agreement to install a line for the whole enterprise. “This is a development of Professor Zlochevsky who won a Grand Prix in Seoul. There are four patents. The main production plant is located in Barnaul, but localisation in Chelny is considered in order to have as few logistic problems as possible,” the speaker said. And a small vacuum cleaner was tested directly in the meeting hall. Some flour was put inside, treated waste was the result. “If it were a classic cyclone (Editor’s Note: a cyclone vacuum cleaner is meant), we would have been covered with dust,” Alexey Timagin explained.

“It is an interesting technology, we should have a look where we use air purification,” Minnikhanov stood up after hearing the roar of the engine. “In fact, it is very interesting,” he breathed in when he made sure the flour dust didn’t spread in the hall. We have so my cyclones... Come on, the Ministry of Construction, Ministry of Agriculture, have a look! It will certainly be used,” Rustam Minnikhanov promised evaluating the Barnaul equipment.

Kazakhstani headhunter from Innopolis

Kazakhstani guest Dastan Kokeyev, head of Abiroy, was the last to deliver a speech. The company is one of the first residents of Innopolis. Unlike the rest, Abiroy doesn’t offer technological solutions. It provides services to choose qualified staff for high-tech projects. “We perform the top management’s strategic tasks of accompanying corporate changes,” Director General of Abiroy Dastan Kokeyev said and specified that he had been working in this area for over 20 years.

It is noteworthy that being in Tatarstan Abiroy has managed to establish partnership relations with SIBUR, Yamal LNG, Irkutsk Oil Company but hasn’t befriended Tatarstan companies. Abiroy focuses on four areas: personnel skills, motivation development, organisational infrastructure, digital system. He put an example of SIBUR where he selected personnel. During the construction of a petrochemical complex in Tobolsk, the management had to deliver the facility on time, but for this reason it would have to select apt staff for key posts. Specialists were brought from SIBUR’s 10 subdivisions from all Russia. “They weren’t confident about the confirmation of a competence and necessary permits,” Kokeyev said. As a result, a personnel selection platform was developed within two weeks.

The head of Abiroy offered a similar project to Tatneft. As it is known, the company is preparing to build a maleic anhydride plant.

“For Tatneft’s plant that’s under construction, we are ready to offer good knowledge of the local market, our experience of outsourcing and staff management, introduction of international standards in training and development,” Kokeyev reported.

Abiroy expressed its readiness to provide similar services of construction management for Kazan Oil Extraction Plant, Czech Danaflex company and Kvart plant from Kazan. It seems digitalisation didn’t have the time to be introduced in the latter. As Dastan Kokeyev noted, “the majority of registration acts at Kvart are paper-based”, so he offered to digitalise them. “It is important for us what strategic tasks you set, and only then our services will be useful,” the Kazakhstan guest finished his speech.

Who will join Tatneftekhiminvest-holding’s new Board of Directors

Candidates for a new Board of Directors of Tatneftekhiminvest-holding were chosen too:

• Rustam Minnikhanov, Tatarstan President;
• Marat Ayzatullin, Tatarstan Minister of Construction, Architecture, Housing and Utilities;
• Albert Karimov, Tatarstan Minister of Industry and Trade;
• Nail Maganov, Director General of Tatneft PJSC;
• Farid Minigulov, Director General of Kazanorgsintez PJSC;
• Taliya Minullina, head of Tatarstan Investment Development Agency;
• Albert Nafigin, Aide to the Tatarstan president;
• Alexey Pesoshin, Tatarstan Prime Minister;
• Ayrat Safin, Director General of Nizhnekamskneftekhim PJSC;
• Valery Sorokin, Director General of Svyazinvestneftekhim;
• Rifnur Suleymanov, Director of Tatenergosbyt JSC;
• Shafagat Takhautdinov, ex-Director of Tatneft and Aide to the Tatarstan president in the oil industry;
• Rauzil Khaziyev, Director General of Tatenergo JSC;
• Ildar Khalikov, board chairman of Tatenergo JSC;
• Midkhat Shagiakhmetov, Tatarstan Minister of Economy;
• Roman Shaykhutdinov, Tatarstan Vice Premier;
• Rafinat Yarullin, Director General of Tatneftekhiminvest-holding.