JSC Naftan hosted the symbolic launch of a Claus process elementary sulphur production unit today.
JSC Naftan hosted the symbolic launch of a Claus process elementary sulphur production unit today.
The official ceremony was attended by the Chairman of the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee, Nikolai Sherstnev, the Mayor of Novopolotsk, Dmitry Demidov, the Chairman of the Belneftekhim concern, Andrey Rybakov, the General Director of JSC Naftan, Alexander Demidov, and the enterprise's staff. The event participants also visited the previously commissioned hydrogen production unit No. 2. Built from scratch, the two facilities have collectively provided employment for 174 workers.
Each upgraded facility at JSC Naftan brings economic benefits and yields results. This opinion was shared with journalists today by the Chairman of the Belneftekhim concern, Andrey Rybakov, at the symbolic launch ceremony of the Claus process elementary sulphur production unit at the Novopolotsk enterprise.
Andrey Rybakov emphasised that the unit is part of the technological facilities of the delayed coking complex. "Speaking about individual units of the complex, each of them provides its own economic effect. The environmental factor and import substitution are also important here. We will effectively replace the raw materials purchased for fertilizer production with a Naftan product," stated the Chairman of the concern.
The Chairman of the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee, Nikolai Sherstnev, focused on the environmental improvements in Novopolotsk with the commissioning of the Claus process elementary sulphur production unit. "It is not for nothing that it has been nicknamed the lungs of Novopolotsk. People understand the significance of this facility for the city," stressed the governor. He also expressed gratitude to everyone involved in the implementation of this project.
According to the General Director of JSC Naftan, Alexander Demidov, the modernisation of technological facilities is an integral part of the enterprise's development program, which allows for the production of competitive products and compliance with modern market requirements. Raw materials are an important element of the entire process. Naftan is now purposefully and systematically developing alternative supplies.
"In the first ten days of August, we expect another tanker with American oil. This will be the ninth tanker this year. On average, this is about 900 thousand tonnes over seven months. The alternative oil supply program will continue to develop," added Alexander Demidov.
The cost of the elemental sulphur production unit, which occupies almost 5 hectares and has no analogues in Belarus, is approximately $130 million. The facility employs the most modern European technologies. During its construction, equipment from Croatia, the Czech Republic, Italy, Canada, the USA, Germany, France, Russia, and Ukraine was used. In total, almost a hundred units of main technological equipment were installed: thermal reactors, vessels, columns, pumps, furnaces, a flare, and a chimney. Equipment for the sulphur granulation, transportation, and shipment system occupies a special place. At peak times during construction and installation operations, over 500 people worked here simultaneously.
The elemental sulphur production unit will utilise hydrogen sulfide supplied from other facilities of the enterprise. With its commissioning, emissions of pollutants from "Naftan" will decrease by 14 thousand tonnes per year. It is planned that existing actual emissions of sulfur dioxide will be reduced by more than 40%.
This facility is referred to by the enterprise as the "lungs of Novopolotsk". Each of the two "Claus" sections is designed to process 3 thousand cubic meters per hour of hydrogen sulfide. Per day, it will be able to produce over 200 tonnes of technical sulphur, meeting global quality requirements. With the launch of this facility, "Naftan" will be able to meet the domestic demand for elemental sulphur for the country's enterprises (the product is consumed by Gomel Chemical Plant and OJSC "Grodno Azot"). Moreover, its export to Lithuania and Ukraine is planned.
The hydrogen production unit No. 2 is one of the important technological facilities of the delayed coking complex (DCC). Currently, it is operating in pilot-industrial mode and is capable of meeting the petrochemical complex's demand for hydrogen. The specific feature of this unit is its ability to operate on combined feedstock in any ratio (liquefied petroleum gas, as well as natural gas) and to produce high-purity hydrogen-containing gas (99.9%), which is necessary for hydrogenation processes.
According to Alexander Demidov, 2020 is a particularly significant year for Naftan Open Joint-Stock Company. The construction of new facilities for the Novopolotsk petrochemical complex is currently being completed. The modernization, the most large-scale in the enterprise's history, is aimed at its further technological development. The implementation of the investment development program will allow Naftan to increase the depth of oil refining to 90%, the yield of light oil products to 65%, obtain new types of products, as well as achieve a reduction in environmental impact and improvements in industrial safety.
Upon completion of all planned activities, the enterprise will be able to solve a number of important tasks: increase the production volume of motor fuels; supply high-quality Belarusian petroleum coke to the market; improve the environmental situation in the region by reducing hydrogen sulfide emissions; produce technical sulfur; increase the energy efficiency of technological processes; optimize operational costs.
The head of the enterprise specifically highlighted the delayed coking complex under construction. It is a whole chain of interconnected technological facilities. The modernization of some of them has already been completed. Initially, all efforts were focused on the reconstruction of the diesel fuel hydrotreating unit No. 2. The reconstruction was completed in September 2018. All diesel fuel produced by Naftan OJSC meets the Euro-5 standard. The economic effect is approximately $20 million per year.