During a recent meeting on current issues of the fuel and energy complex, the President emphasized that the country's economy and national security depend on its reliable operation and capacity. The state has invested considerable funds in modernizing the energy sector, and today, energy system enterprises, including oil refineries, are on par with leading European countries in terms of technical and technological equipment. At the same time, the Head of State drew attention to the modernization of oil refining enterprises. The day before, the Prime Minister visited the Vitebsk region on a working trip.
During a recent meeting on current issues of the fuel and energy complex, the President emphasized that the country's economy and national security depend on its reliable operation and capacity. The state has invested considerable funds in modernizing the energy sector, and today, energy system enterprises, including oil refineries, are on par with leading European countries in terms of technical and technological equipment. At the same time, the Head of State drew attention to the modernization of oil refining enterprises. The day before, the Prime Minister visited the Vitebsk region on a working trip.
Among those who participated in the discussion of agenda items were the Chairman of the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee Nikolai Sherstnev, the President's Aide – Inspector for the Vitebsk Region Anatoly Linevich, and other officials. The participants of the working trip familiarized themselves with the progress of the delayed coking complex construction project.
The delayed coking complex will ensure a crude oil refining depth of 90 percent, comparable to the best global refineries.
The delayed coking complex is, without exaggeration, the largest investment project in the history of "Naftan". Its commissioning will ensure a crude oil refining depth of 90 percent, comparable to the best global refineries. Furthermore, the complex will enable the enterprise not only to increase the yield of light oil products with lower capital costs compared to other deep oil refining processes but also to establish the production of new products – elemental sulfur and petroleum coke.
After the complex is commissioned, "Naftan" will be able to fully meet the country's demand for diesel fuel and gasoline.
The complex itself is a whole chain of interconnected technological facilities. The modernisation of some has already been completed. Initially, all efforts were focused on the reconstruction of diesel fuel hydrotreating unit No. 2. The reconstruction was completed in September 2018, and now the entire volume of diesel fuel produced at the enterprise meets the Euro-5 standard. The economic effect is around 20 million dollars per year.
Recently, a Claus process elemental sulfur production unit was launched here, which is also among the technological facilities of the delayed coking complex. The project cost is about 130 million dollars. The unit is involved in the utilisation of hydrogen sulfide coming from other facilities of the enterprise. According to expert estimates, with its commissioning, emissions of pollutants from "Naftan" will decrease by 14 thousand tons per year. It is planned that the existing actual sulfur dioxide emissions will be reduced by more than 40 percent.
The day before, Prime Minister Roman Golovchenko visited the enterprise. He familiarised himself with the implementation of the investment project "Construction of a delayed coking complex", problematic issues and prospects for the enterprise's activities. The progress of construction and installation works and the schedule for commissioning the facility were considered in detail. Instructions were given for weekly monitoring of the fulfilment of obligations by the responsible departments. The Prime Minister took the implementation of the project, which is planned to be completed in 2021, under his personal control.
In addition, as part of the visit, Roman Golovchenko visited the "Biomeh Factory of Household Secondary Resources", where he was told about the enterprise's operations, the range of products manufactured from waste, and also about a new project for waste collection and processing.
The leadership of the Vitebsk region discussed with the Prime Minister the issues of constructing an interregional landfill in Novopolotsk with a waste sorting plant, and the modernisation of the "Dolomit" enterprise.
Another item on the agenda of the working visit was a tour of the Holy Euphrosyne Convent, during which the Prime Minister was briefed on the restoration project of the 12th-century church, which is included in the state investment program. This year, temporary shelters have already been erected over the areas of research and production work in front of the northern facade of the church, temporary blind areas and cement plaster have been removed, and archaeological work has been carried out, during which the remains of stone walls of the northern gallery and 12th-century stone sarcophagi were found. In addition, work is underway to strengthen damaged sections of the crypt vaults, and constant monitoring of deformations of the church's load-bearing structures is being carried out. The restoration is planned to be completed in 2025.
Based on materials from "SB". Photos by the Government Press Service