RusVinyl PVC Complex, Russian Federation

On 12 July 2010 RusVinyl began construction of a polyvinyl chloride (PVC) integrated plant in Kstovo, Nizhny Novgorod, Russia. The project will be the largest of its kind in the country and will have a polymer production capacity of about 330,000t/y. It will come onstream in 2013.

The plant will annually produce 300,000t of PVC suspension, 235,000t of caustic soda (sodium hydrate) and 30,000t of PVC emulsion. The project is estimated to cost $1.3bn (€1bn).

Depending on the market growth and availability of raw materials and salt deposits in the Nizhny Novgorod region, the capacity of the plant will be increased to about 500,000t/y.

Owners and financing

RusVinyl is a 50:50 joint venture between Russian petrochemical holding company Sibur Holding and Belgian PVC manufacturer SolVin.

In July 2010 RusVinyl received $195m (€150m) from the European Bank of Reconstruction and Development. The company is working to attract credit financiers for funding of about €750m for the project.

Background

The project was originally scheduled to be commissioned in 2010. However, it was delayed by two years due to the global economic downturn and doubts about the potential of the PVC market. In June 2008 the project received priority status and tax benefits for five years from the Nizhny Novgorod regional government. The estimated cost increased from €650m ($825m) to $1.3bn.

Feedstock

The plant will use sodium chloride and ethylene as its main feedstock. The PVC plant is located close to an existing petrochemical plant in Sibur, which will supply the ethylene. The sodium chloride will be sourced from Solikamsk, Donetsk and Astrakhan.

Design and construction

The 130,000m² site is located in an industrial area about 5km south-west from Kstovo. The plant will include process buildings and facilities for vinyl chloride monomer, dichloroethane, a chlorine compressor, a cracking unit, an electrolysis unit, an oxychlorination and an EDC polymerisation unit. Storage facilities for caustic soda and kitchen salt will also be built.

The plant will be designed to meet the requirements of the EU Integrated Pollution, Prevention and Control and all EU and Russian environmental standards. About 10% of the total project investment will be used for environmental friendly practices such as reducing health hazards and improving air quality.

The plant will also have process effluent treatment installations and parking areas. The plans also include the construction of a mechanical workshop, a fire station and an office building in the utility area.

Contractors

International engineering group Technip was awarded the contract for engineering, equipment supply and construction management of the plant. The company was also involved in the engineering and permitting activities of the plant.

Process technology

Chlorine is obtained from electrolysis of sodium chlorine (brine solution) using advanced membrane technology. The ethylene and chlorine are chemically reacted to form vinyl chloride monomer (VCM) gas. Polymerisation of the VCM molecules yields a white powder or polymer. The produced polymers are then mixed with additives for providing stability and flexibility to PVC granules. The final product is a PVC thermoplastic material.

The plant will use advanced technologies for recycling recoverable VCM. It will have control technologies to reduce the discharge of dioxins, vent gases and heavy metals during VCM/EDC production. The chlorinated by-products from the plant will be recovered as hydrochloric acid.