Azat Bikmurzin: ''Even in the difficult 1990’s the development went on...''
Together for half a century: Nizhnekamskneftekhim celebrates the 50th anniversary from the date of the first production
In celebration of the round date of the city-forming enterprise, nearly 1,500 employees received awards of different levels, including federal ones. What is more, not only directors but ordinary workers were awarded. President of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov came to Nizhnekamsk to congratulate Nizhnekamskneftekhim with the anniversary. Why the raining weather could not spoil the celebration and what role the future ethylene complex plays in the petrochemical sector of Russia – read in the material of Realnoe Vremya.
1,402 employees were awarded
The fact that the anniversary of Nizhnekamskneftekhim coincided with Day of the City is very symbolic: every third family of Nizhnekamsk is tied to the city-forming enterprise. The double celebration began with a solemn procession. A column walked along the prospect Mira – first employees, then their colleagues in other industrial enterprises, doctors, teachers, students, children, pre-school children. About 4,000 people in total. Despite the fact that the weather spoiled the plans — in the morning it started raining, but no one was disappointed, and bright umbrellas and raincoats added colour to the festive day.
The official part started later in the Ice Palace. The hall designed for 5,000 people was almost full — there were young people as well as veterans. President of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov and Director General of TAIF JSC Albert Shigabutdinov also came to congratulate the city.
It is accepted to receive gifts at birthdays. In honour of the round date, 1,402 employees received awards of various levels, including of federal one. It is difficult to award such a huge number of gifts on one stage, so only some of them were distinguished on the official part. One of the first who came up on the stage was Vladimir Busygin. Former Director General of the enterprise, now Deputy Director General for management and strategic development of the group Nizhnekamskneftekhim at TAIF JSC, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the company, by the decree of the president of Russia was awarded the medal of Honour for his great contribution to the development of the oil and gas industry, many years of diligent work.
The title ''Honoured chemist of Tatarstan'' was awarded to the foreman of the shop of polymerization and degassing rubber of the plant for production of synthetic rubbers Akhmetzaki Zaydullin. He came to Nizhnekamskneftekhim after the army and began to work as a simple apparatchik, and eventually rose to a shop foreman. This autumn he turns 60, but he admitted that he is not in a hurry to retire — he wants to work on.
''When I was only starting, our plant was designed for 240,000 tonnes of rubber, and now we have had a reconstruction, and the design capacity is 330,000 tonnes. In the future it is planned to reach 420,000 tonnes, I am glad that the company develops,'' said Akhmetzaki Zaydullin.
''We are proud that over the years the industrial complex has become so large''
The enterprise employs about 15,000 people, and it is impossible to distinguish everyone, therefore, by the decree of the president of Tatarstan for the most outstanding achievements of the team in the development of the petrochemical industry and contribution to the economy of the republic, Nizhnekamskneftekhim JSC was awarded the order ''For merits to Tatarstan''. In addition to that, the company did not forget about the veterans.
''Look how many things we were presented — there's plenty of colours, two heavy packages, I do not know what else there is, I haven't watched yet,'' told about the gifts a veteran Nina Usova, holding a great armful of flowers.
She and her husband Nikolay Usov began working at the chemical plant in 1966. The veteran remembered how the foundation for the first workshops was laid and in the autumn they went in the mud to the knees. In those years, the couple did not think that they gave rise to a dynasty of chemists — today two sons and their spouses also work at Nizhnekamskneftekhim. Their family experience at the enterprise is more than 150 years, and the figure will increase — now a grandson is studying, who is also going to follow in the footsteps of grandparents and parents.
''We are proud that over the years the plant has grown so large, it is breath-taking from where we started. Now the factory, the city are so beautiful, all is beautiful, beautifully dressed. It is the pride of the whole of the republic,'' said a veteran apparatchik of the sixth category Nina Usova.
The olefin complex is one of the main growth points for Tatarstan economy
The history of the chemical plant began in 1958, when at the May Plenum of the CPSU Central Committee they adopted a decision on construction of the complex of chemical plants on the Kama River. First, they built a working village, paved roads and railways, and then industrial facilities. They built the central gas fractionation unit, due to which on 31 July 1967 they received the first raw material. This date is considered to be the beginning of the history of the work of the chemical plant.
''In the 1970's every year they introduced new production of monomers and polymers, in the 1980's plants for production of ethylene oxide, polypropylene and styrene, the production of polyethers begun operation. Even in the difficult 1990's the development never stopped and there was the production of alpha-olefins. The 2000s became new plastic era, in 2003 one after another they began to launch new productions of polystyrene, polypropylene, polyethylene, ABS plastics. Over the 50 years, they have implemented many projects, almost annually put into operation new productions,'' said Director General of Nizhnekamskneftehim Azat Bikmurzin.
Half a century later, Nizhnekamskneftekhim is the largest rubber producer in Russia. Last year it produced 670,000 tonnes, and by 2021 the volume they want to reach one million tonnes. The plan is to increase the production of plastics: in 2016 it produced 725,000 tonnes, by 2021 the volumes they want to reach is 1,5 million. But one of the main tasks is the construction of ethylene complex. In June, Nizhnekamskneftekhim signed a framework agreement with the German company Linde on construction of the ethylene complex with the capacity of 1,2 million tonnes per year.
''The company is implementing the development strategy until 2025, it includes the construction of the olefin complex with production of polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene and other various products,'' said President of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov.
According to Rustam Minnikhanov, this project is not only one of the main points of growth for the economy of Tatarstan in the framework of the development of Strategy 2030 but also an important point in development of the petrochemical industry of Russia.
Read the full report from the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the city-forming enterprises of Nizhnekamsk in the near future
