PJSC SIBUR Holding is actively building a new plant for production of maleic anhydride (MAH) at its Tobolsk site. This product has not yet been produced in Russia; all maleic anhydride used in Russia was imported. The plant is located on existing industrial site of SIBUR's Tobolsk facilities. Currently, construction and installation works are being carried out at the facility, which has a total area of 6 hectares.
The project provides for sinking of 7,000 piles, 98% of which are already submerged in the base of the plant. More than 70% of concrete works and 95% of underground communications with a total length of 10 thousand meters have been completed. The volume of completed earthworks is 320 thousand cubic meters. 90% of processing equipment for the future plant has already been delivered to the construction site. Most of which (almost 80%), as well as steelwork with a volume of 8 thousand tons are produced in Russia. The rest of the equipment specific to MAH production is imported, such as steam generation units, briquetting units, and vacuum installations. The main element of the plant under construction - the heat exchanger weighing over 600 tons - is manufactured in Germany and shipped to Tobolsk.
The construction of the facility is carried out around the clock. About 800 specialists are involved at the site, and their number will increase to 1300 by this fall. 4 General Contractors were selected, priority is given to local companies from Tobolsk and Tyumen Region.
The construction is planned to be completed by 2021. Currently, maleic anhydride is not produced in Russia. The country's annual consumption is 6 thousand tons of MAH per year. The entire volume is imported. MAH production capacity in Tobolsk will be 45 thousand tons per year. These volumes will not only meet the needs of the country, but also develop non-resource exports by MAH delivery to Europe and Turkey.
MAH is widely used in various fields from automotive and shipbuilding to pharmaceuticals, it is used in production of films, synthetic fibers, lacquers and paints. Maleic anhydride is used to make additives to initial raw material, which can increase the strength, moisture resistance and resistance to temperature changes of finished product.
Butane produced at SIBUR Tobolsk will serve as the raw material for MAH production. This technology is recognized as the most effective and environmentally friendly. Production will be completely sealed, with no emissions into the environment. The plant will also install the latest emergency protection system.
After the launch, the MAH plant will give the region new jobs in terms of support to technological processes. It is planned that 70% of staff will be provided by the company's internal resources - employees of SIBUR's Tobolsk plants, 20% of the total number of specialists will be attracted from the labor market, and 10% of the staff will be young professionals.
In order to prepare employees to work at the facility, which has no analogues in the country, SIBUR, together with the licensor – the Italian company Conser, will train specialists in Tobolsk, ensure their participation in commissioning and start-up, and also, if the epidemiological situation is favorable, organize internships in Europe and China to existing maleic anhydride production plants.
Source:
https://plastinfo.ru/information/news/45875_13.7.2020/
