TAIF-NK allocates more than a billion rubles to improve environment in the region

TAIF-NK, the largest oil refining company in Russia, is introducing the latest developments in the field of environmental protection. The company is carrying out technical re-equipment of the vapour recovery unit, which allows fuel shipping without damage to the environment. The system captures hydrocarbons and turns them into a liquid state. Another new product is the industrial vacuum cleaner for absorbing dust. Read the details in the material of Realnoe Vremya.

Business with an environmental face

For TAIF-NK JSC, environmental safety and environmental protection is a prerequisite for successful operation and business development. The company's management considers the issues of respect for nature to be top corporate priorities.

The company objectively assesses and minimizes environmental risks, investing significant funds in improving the environmental situation in the region, reducing the negative impact on the environment. Last year, the company allocated more than 1,1 billion rubles to protect nature and took dozens of environmental measures.

The protection of ambient air for TAIF-NK is one of the global challenges. To reduce the amount of harmful emissions, the company has introduced a vapor recovery system. It captures hydrocarbons and returns them back to production.

“In 2019, we implemented all 23 of the planned environmental activities. One of them concerns the technical re-equipment of the vapor recovery unit of the shop 07 of the petrol plant, which significantly improves the environmental friendliness of the fuel shipment process. Hydrocarbon vapors are converted to the liquid phase, which allows valuable vapor fractions to be reused. Thanks to this, there release of harmful pollutants into the atmosphere is minimal," said Ilmir Shafikov, the head of the environmental protection department of TAIF-NK PSC.

The installation of petroleum vapor recovery not only reduces the negative impact on the environment but also increases the overall profitability of production. The work is carried out in automatic mode, without requiring constant control and monitoring of the technological process by the staff.

“About 30 million rubles were allocated by the company for the purchase of industrial vacuum cleaners," said the chief ecologist of the company, Ilmir Shafikov. “It works on the principle of household cleaners — it sucks up dust and the pellets of pitch coke from the outdoor installations of shop No. 12 of the Heavy Residue Conversion Complex.

The burners of the P-3 oven of the ELOU-AVT-7 vacuum unit of the refinery have also been replaced. As part of the project, 24 old burner units have been dismantled and 16 new John Zink Hamworthy burners of the PLNC-12RM type were installed. Gas burner devices are supplied with a built-in pilot burner, a stationary electric ignition system SOFLOR 204-10 with auto-ignition function, and flame monitoring sensors. This has enabled the company to reduce its emissions of pollutants into the atmosphere.

Besides, the company successfully implements measures to protect water resources. For example, KT-825 column has been modernised at the petrol plant. To better separate water and methanol and improve the performance of fusel water discharged into the sewer network, the column's internal devices have been replaced.

Laboratory with a wide range of capabilities

TAIF-NK's own sanitary and industrial laboratory conducts operational and systematic monitoring of the environment and also controls treated, industrial, storm water and household water.

In 2015, the laboratory was included in the national part of the Unified register of accredited testing laboratories of the Customs Union. And in 2018, it successfully passed the procedure for confirming competence and expanding the scope of accreditation for water and air control facilities.

“Our laboratory is one of the best in Tatarstan, with a wide range of accredited methods used. Every year, specialists participate in inter-laboratory comparative tests, 'compete' in accurately determining the amount of chemical in water specified by the provider, and always get satisfactory results.

Laboratory technicians take advanced training courses in a timely manner and expand the scope of accreditation," said Ilmir Shafikov, the head of the environmental protection department of TAIF-NK PSC.

Thanks to good financial support, the laboratory is equipped with equipment from leading domestic and foreign manufacturers. Last year, TAIF-NK purchased a vibration calibrator, a device for drying special dishes, analytical scales, a refrigerator with heat recovery and temperature indication. The latest equipment give the opportunity to monitor the environmental mode of operation in production shops, the quality of atmospheric air in the zone of influence of the enterprise and on the border of the sanitary protection zone, accurately determines the source of air pollution and identifies the culprit.

The degree of water purification at TAIF-NK is 99,99%

With regard to the consumption of water resources, here TAIF-NK has achieved good results. Thanks to the reconstruction of the shop for local biological treatment of industrial wastewater, the company no longer uses river water — biological treatment facilities operate on the principle of a closed water cycle.

“We do not use water from the Kama River, we take our storm and industrial drains, clean them and send them back to production. Excess purified water is drained into a common chemical contaminated collector belonging to Nizhnekamskneftekhim PJSC. The treated water dilutes the polluted runoff, thereby reducing the load on the BTF of Nizhnekamskneftekhim PJSC," said Ilmir Shafikov, the head of the environmental protection department of TAIF-NK PSC.

Local biological treatment facilities of TAIF-NK PSC were put into operation in 2017. The degree of water purification is 99,99%. The total cost of the project is 3,7 billion rubles.

The local biological treatment shop operates in an automated mode. The uniqueness of the applied technology lies in its multi-stage cleaning system. Waste water passes through the blocks of preliminary, physical, chemical, and biological treatment. After that, there is the stage of desalination, dehydration, as well as the pumping of mineralized water into two wells with a depth of 1,874 metres.

It is symbolic that the landmark innovative project of industrial wastewater treatment of TAIF-NK company, based on advanced world technologies, was launched in the Year of Ecology. This approach is primarily a consequence of TAIF Group's management policy in the field of industrial safety, labour protection and the environment, and reflects the social responsibility of TAIF-NK in the context of solving environmental problems in the region as a whole.

A comparative analysis of the quality of treated water before and after reconstruction showed that the content of petroleum products decreased by 95%, chlorides — by 90%, sulphates — by 84%, suspended solids — by 99%, chemical oxygen consumption — by 77%.

The reconstruction of the local biological treatment plant for industrial wastewater of TAIF-NK affected not only the quality of wastewater treatment, but also the atmosphere. The emissions of pollutants decreased by 78,4%. If before the modernization of local treatment plants, they were 936,5 tonnes a year, now they are 202,1 tonnes a year.

The company's employees make a significant contribution to the landscaping of the area

In addition to the various environmental programmes developed by the company, the employees of TAIF-NK are involved in urban, republican and all-Russian ecological actions. Last year, as part of the second stage of Green Wave environmental campaign, the company's employees planted about 300 seedlings along the road connecting the city and the industrial zone. The territory around the village of Shingalchi was landscaped, landed more than 400 birch trees. In total, TAIF-NK planted about 1,500 trees in 2019, and about 10,000 over the past seven years.

“In 2020, it is planned to plant seedlings on an area of almost 40 hectares near the village of Alan. It is nice that we can contribute to the landscaping of the city and district. Trees provide us with oxygen, the more of them, the cleaner and better the air," said Ilmir Shafikov, the head of the department of environmental protection of TAIF-NK PSC.

Also last autumn, the company's employees joined the federal campaign Green Russia, clearing the shoreline of the unique Karakul Lake in Tatarstan. Thanks to their efforts, reverent attitude to nature, dozens of bags of garbage were taken to the landfill.

In the period of city subbotniks, the employees bring the order on Lesnaya Street. They collect last year's leaves, accumulated garbage, whitewash borders and trees.

“The company is following the path chosen throughout the civilized world”

The minimization of environmental impact in the company is achieved through the use of new resource-saving technologies and modern production methods, compliance with the requirements of the legislation of the Russian Federation, international law and standards in the field of environmental safety and environmental protection.

The environmental management system that meets the requirements of the international standard ISO 14001 has been implemented in TAIF-NK since 2008. It guarantees the environmental safety of production facilities, prevents the risks of environmental pollution, and helps to optimize the use of natural resources.

It should be noted that in February of this year, the company's integrated management system successfully passed recertification, confirming its compliance with the requirements of international standards (ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO45001).

TAIF-NK has repeatedly confirmed its status as an environmentally responsible enterprise by winning all-Russian environmental competitions. The company is a multiple winner of the contest 100 Best Organizations in Russia. Ecology and environmental management.” Director General Rushan Shamgunov was awarded 'Ecologist of the Year' badge of honour for his achievements in the field of environmental management. “TAIF-NK company is following the path chosen throughout the civilized world, when with a competent approach and appropriate investments, the development of industry does not cause damage to the environment.

The introduction of new technologies and the production of petroleum products of European quality standards allow TAIF-NK to successfully solve its strategic task, improving the environmental situation, and significantly influence the quality of life in the regions of Russia," said Rushan Shamgunov, the director general of TAIF-NK PSC.

President of the Republic of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov has repeatedly noted the high environmental responsibility of enterprises of the petrochemical complex of the republic, in particular TAIF Group, which includes TAIF-NK:

“It is necessary to maintain a balance between the development of production and the preservation of the environment. The Republic of Tatarstan is one of the most developed industrial regions of the Russian Federation, with a high volume of gross product. High quality of life and health of the population can be provided only if natural systems are preserved and the required quality of the environment is maintained.

Constant progress, development and implementation of modern technologies in production are realities for the company, which in terms of the level of tasks, quality of results and efficiency of work occupies a worthy place among the large, stable and competitive enterprises of the Russian Federation.

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By Lilia Yegorova. Photo courtesy of TAIF-NK PSC