Sibur test runs petchem project with output of PP granules

Russia’s petchem producer Sibur’s US$9.5-billion project in Russia has started up commercial production of a pilot batch of PP granules, made using third-party feedstock.

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The ZapSibNeftekhim project will include a steam cracker designed to produce 1.5 tonnes/year of ethylene and 525,000 tonnes/year of propylene using raw NGL feedstock including ethane, propane, and n-butane. The cracker will also produce hydrogenated pyrolysis gasoline, butadiene, and methyl tert–butyl ether. The olefin facilities will feed downstream units with combined capacity for 1.5 million tonnes/year of PE and 500,000 tonnes/year of PP.

“We have only produced several tons of PP as part of a test run,” said Andrei Germashev, head of production at ZapSibNeftekhim.

After the start-up of ZapSibNeftekhim, PP production at Sibur’s facilities at Tobolsk, including existing propane dehydrogenation and PP plants, will total 1 million tonnes/year. ZapSibNeftekhim will contribute to 95% of current polymer imports into Russia, which come mainly from China and Europe.