Ilshat Fardiev invests 5 billion rubles in energy reliability enhancement of Kama cluster
Begishevo substation will help Nizhnekamsk industrial hub to avoid multi-million losses
The Nizhnekamsk industrial hub has a new power source. The work of the new substation Begishevo with a capacity of 220 kW has been launched. It was built by the Grid Company for almost 5 billion rubles under the program of power supply reliability increase of Nizhnekamsk industrial hub. The opening was held with participation of Tatarstan President Rustam Minnikhanov, Tatarstan Minister of Industry and Trade Albert Karimov and top managers of oil-refining and petrochemical companies of the Republic. The correspondent of Realnoe Vremya attended the event and found out about the significance of the new substation from the leading energy enterprises of the Republic.
'It is a big event for our economy'
The decision on Begishevo substation construction was made by the order of the President at the end of 2014. The prerequisite for its construction in the first place was the rapid development of petrochemical and refining industries, focused mainly in Nizhnekamsk, and which needed extra reliability of power supply. The energy facility was built just in 13 months — the first stone in the foundation of the future substation was founded in September, 2014, and the construction itself began in March, 2015.
Over the last few decades, this substation in NMR (Nizhnekamsk municipal region) was the first facility of such voltage class. The capacity of the existing substation Nizhnekamskaya, launched in the mid 1970s, was no longer enough due to the growing load: it fulfilled its service life and needed profound upgrade.
'By and large, we're talking about our Strategy-2030. And the growth point — this cluster, the Kama cluster: the SEZ Alabuga, Naberezhnye Chelny and the main one — Nizhnekamsk. There was much talk, but, in fact, petrochemical production, oil refining, — they cannot accept large deviations, voltage jumps and everything else. And this decision was made in heated discussions because the project is quite expensive — about 5 billion rubles,' said at the ceremonial launch of the substation the President of Tatarstan. 'It is a great event for our economy.'
Then, by tradition, Rustam Minnikhanov presented state awards and letters of appreciation to all who took an active part in the construction — contractors, employees of the Grid Company.
'One of the fundamental stages in the development of Nizhnekamsk industrial hub'
'This project is a strong-willed decision of the President of the Republic,' said during the ceremony the head of Grid Company Ilshat Fardiev.
The capacity of the substation and modern equipment, what is important – of the Russian production, will provide the industrial hub of Nizhnekamsk, as it was announced by Fardiev, with electricity of the first category of reliability. He stressed that the project implementation has become possible due to major consumers — the companies Nizhnekamskneftekhim, TAIF-NK, Nizhnekamskshina, KAMAZ, Kazanorgsintez, Tatneft and their tariff components.
Before, the industrial complex in Nizhnekamsk used to suffer damages due to poor quality of electricity supply. The problem was that in Nizhnekamsk power district the power supply system of high-risk facilities, which are the industrial enterprises of petrochemical, oil processing, since the Soviet times did not meet the requirements of the legislation in the field of industrial safety, which require the supply of such extremely dangerous production from three independent energy sources. Therefore, any, even the most short-term for a fraction of a second, short circuit in the network or the undervoltage entailed the suspension of production, failure of equipment, the violation of technological modes. The return to them created downtime that turned into billions in financial losses.
Besides, such incidents created the real possibility of technological disasters with the most severe consequences. It should be noted that the lack of a reliable energy supply actually put an end to the possibility of further development of the production capacities in Nizhnekamsk, because all newly commissioned productions are extremely demanding on supply quality. By the end of 2013, the question was put squarely: whether the problem of supply is solved radically or the development of Nizhnekamsk industrial cluster can be forgotten about.
The leadership of the Republic treated the problem with maximum responsibility and meticulousness. The result was the development and approval of the complex detailed program on reliability improvement of energy supply in Nizhnekamsk power region. This program includes the activities implemented by energy industry and industrial enterprises. The Begishevo substation construction became one of the main stages of this program. It has become the third independent power unit in Nizhnekamsk region. The thing is that it is directly powered by the line 220 kW from the Shcheyolokov substation and therefore completely independent from the existing energy sources in NMR. In the first place, the Heavy Residue Conversion Complex (HRCC) will connect to the new substation. The complex construction is being finished by TAIF-NK. The tire plant has applied for the transfer to the power supply of its production part. The power supply of newly commissioned production facilities of Nizhnekamskneftekhim PJSC is also presupposed from this substation.
The consumers are still in the mode of admission for voltage supply from Rostechnadzor. As the technical Director of the Grid Company Rashat Galimzyanov assured the journalists, 'we will apply voltage on the lines leading to the KGPTO within next two weeks.'
The Deputy Director General of TAIF for energy and information technologies Ruslan Gizzatullin noticed that 'the birth of this substation is one of the fundamental steps in creating conditions for the further development of Nizhnekamsk industrial hub. The basic requirement of industrial enterprises, besides the supply of electricity and power to them — it is the provision of the absolute reliability of energy supply. It is dangerous productions, which endure no power supply termination, even for a moment. And we hope that this substation finally closes this issue.'
The chief engineer of Nizhnekamskneftekhim PJSC Aleksander Vdovin is agree with him. He believes that due to the third source, the substation Begishevo, as well as the substations Nizhnekamskaya and CHP-1, the reliability of the enterprise will increase significantly. 'We have been waiting for it,' said Vdovin.
By the way, NKNK will soon begin the construction of main step-down substations (MSDS-5 and MSDS -8), the purpose of which — the electricity supply of the new olefin complex. Begishevo will be the third power source for the new ethylene production as well. It should be noted that in the framework of the implementation of commitments on implementation of the program of reliability increase of Nizhnekamsk industrial hub, the enterprises of TAIF group invested in the reconstruction and modernization of power systems of the productions more than 4 billion rubles. Such integrated approach, when energy companies and large consumers together and coordinately solve the problems of energy supply, is the key advantage of the Republic of Tatarstan, that makes it even more attractive as an investment region.
Leaving most of the guests and journalists outside the perimeter, the delegation headed by the President went to the territory of the substation to see the main infrastructure objects. In the central control station, the President pressed the symbolic button, applying voltage through the high voltage transmission lines running from Begishevo substation.
As for the staff of the energy facility, there are only 15 people (so the new object, though not on a large scale, but has provided Nizhnekamsk with new jobs): the equipment is so automated that a greater number of staff is simply not required.