Sibur to upgrade and expand terephthalic acid production in Blagoveshchensk

Sibur has launched a terephthalic acid production upgrade at the POLIEF Blagoveshchensk site to expand its annual capacity to 350,000 tonnes. The project seeks to improve the site’s production efficiency and environmental safety.

Terephthalic acid is used to produce polyethylene terephthalate (PET), a basic material for the production of modern polymer packaging for mineral water, dairy products, juices, sunflower oil, and products of the textile, medical and other industries. The Russian terephthalic acid market is undersupplied and the production upgrade at Sibur’s Blagoveshchensk site will help to substitute a major part of imports. The project is scheduled for completion in 2019.

Design documents were approved by the General Board of State Expert Review (Glavgosexpertiza). The general designer is GSE-Giprokauchuk, a Russian design institute. Russian contractors will be engaged for construction and commissioning works.

Eleven existing production facilities will be upgraded. The project is designed to renovate 150 units of core production equipment, and most of the ancillary equipment, thus enhancing its industrial safety, reliability and efficiency. The site’s atmospheric emissions are expected to shrink twofold thanks to the construction of a modern gas catalytic oxidiser and the upgrade of all gas emissions treatment systems. Transition to rotary pressure filters will translate into 1.5 times lower industrial wastewater discharges from the terephthalic acid production. In addition, the production upgrade will virtually prevent excessive evaporation into the atmosphere resulting from a significant release of heat during terephthalic acid synthesis. After the reconstruction, vapour will go through cooling systems to return to the process flow, improving the site’s energy efficiency multifold.

“The investment project at the Blagoveshchensk site seeks to meet the increasing demand from the food industry. It is also an important step of our production upgrade strategy intended to maximise energy efficiency and environmental safety of our facilities,” said Dmitry Konov, Chairman of Sibur’s Management Board.