Kemerovo Azot to upgrade caprolactam facilities
Konov Dmitry - President, JSC SIBUR Holding
Kemerovo Azot JSC (incorporated into SIBUR Holding JSC) approved investment of a caprolactam upgrade project worth 778.6 mn rubles ($29.6 mn) that aims to improve the productivity of the existing facilities.
The modernization will help cut the energy consumption, increase efficiency of the existing fractionating columns, phase out outdated units, and remain in the lead at the caprolactam market. The project is due for completion in 2009.
Upgrade will include implementation of a modern process management system with a safe emergency protection. Such distinguished companies as Koch Chemical technology Group (Switzerland) and Yokogawa (Japan) will take part in the project.
“Until recently, Kemerovo subsidiary of Sibur saw upgrade only within the framework of turnaround. Now we are targeting at an extensive modernization in line with a long-term strategy”, - SIBUR Holding president Dmitry Konov said in a statement. In his opinion, “this project is a part of a large-scale program for the development of Azot JSC approved by Kemerovo authorities”.
Reference:
Joint-stock company Azot is a largest chemical enterprise in Western Siberia. It came onstream in 1956. Now Azot is a big production complex manufacturing a wide range of chemicals: caprolactam, mineral fertilizers – carbamide, ammonia sulfate and ammonium nitrate, sulphuric and nitric acid, ion exchange resins, etc.
Caprolactam is synthesised from coal and petroleum naphtha and used in polyamide resins, man-made fibers and threads. There are liquid and crystalline types of caprolactam. The first one is used at Russian chemical fiber enterprises, whereas the latter is exported to China.
SIBUR Holding JSC