Russia’s Sibur Holding PJSC soon expects to become Europe’s No. 3 supplier of polyolefins, with an eye on claiming the top spot by 2024.
The company is in full growth mode, expecting to fully commission its new 8 billion euro ($9 billion) ZapSibNeftekhim (ZapSib) polyolefin project in Tobolsk, Siberia, by the end of the year, moving from test production to commercial volumes.
The plant is designed to operate a steam cracker with a capacity of 1.5 million tons per annum of ethylene and 500,000 tpa of propylene.
The complex includes a 500,000 tpa polypropylene production unit, which, according to Executive Director Sergey Komyshan, is already operational producing test batches of product. In addition, the project will produce 1.5 mtpa of various grades of polyethylene.
As K 2019 began, the project hit another milestone, producing the first polyethylene granules from the ethylene manufactured at ZapSib.
“The commissioning and startup is well underway to bring the new petrochemical facility on stream,” Komyshan announced at K.
The petrochemical complex accommodates four polymerization units, based on Ineos technology, to produce various grades of high and linear low density PE with an aggregate capacity of 190 tons per hour.
And the ambitious growth does not stop there. Sibur expects to make a final decision by the end of the year on a potential Amur gas chemical complex in Russia’s Far East.
If the expanded project is approved, the investment can add another 2.7 mtpa of polyolefin production capacity by 2024, catapulting Sibur to Europe’s top position with a total capacity of about 6 mtpa.
The intensive growth has been on the back of increasing demand in Russia and elsewhere, particularly Asia, Komyshan explained.
Once fully operational, the ZapSib project is expected to not only meet the demand at home but also supply to key markets such as Europe, China and Turkey.
At K, the company is showcasing LDPE and PP homopolymer grades, as well as new product lines, such as HDPE, LLDPE and PP copolymers.
The company is presenting LLDPE grades for general purpose blown or cast films as well as grades for cast extrusion of stretch films and coextrusion to produce high-quality stretch packaging.
Also on display are HDPE grades for extrusion of thin films as well as films for lamination, shrink films, and very thin films at high speed lines.
In addition, the Russian company is presenting HDPE with bimodal technology for production of pipe, as well as HDPE grades designed for blow molding of small containers.
The Moscow company will also showcase 14 various grades of PP and PE for injection molding, offering properties such as high mechanical strength, high resistance to vertical load and aggressive mediums.
In addition to its products, Sibur is also highlighting product development and technical support services.