Growth in chemistry and petrochemistry, school in Mendeleyevsk: meeting of Tatneftekhiminvest-holding
“It will get tougher for us year after year, our partners will be more closed,” Tatarstan President Rustam Minnikhanov urged the audience for import substitution and technological sovereignty. The unprecedented economic pressure seems to have made itself known: the meeting of the board of directors of Tatneftekhiminvest-holding was in a semi-closed mode. Meanwhile, Ammonia PJSC publicly confirmed the readiness to invest in private capital “seamless” education “school — college” in Mendeleyevsk, not let the youth go to the Polytech in Yelabuga, while Kazan Federal University showed the first achievements of import substitution of foreign reagents in oil production. Read the key takeaways in Realnoe Vremya’s report.
Chemical and petrochemical enterprises transferred 6,8 billion rubles to the budget
The Tatarstan president held the next quarterly meeting of the Board of Directors of Tatneftekhiminvest-holding in a semi-closed regime. During the first 15 minutes of the meeting when Director General Rafinat Yarullin delivered a traditional report, users were disconnected from video transmission. The performance of the gas and petrochemical complex during the first quarter of the year were made public, the beginning of the special military operation in Donbas coincided with this time, consequently, the global economy turned out affected by the energy crisis: many enterprises in Europe and China closed, logistic chains were disrupted.
Later, the president’s press service communicated the data. So during the first quarter, Tatneft increased oil output by 9,5%. Total production of oil refineries TANECO and TAIF-NK rose by 20%. A 1,7% rise was noted in chemistry and petrochemistry. Transfers of key enterprises of the gas and petrochemical complex to the republic’s budget augmented 2,3 times — to 32,9 billion rubles. Chemical and petrochemical enterprises transferred a total of 6,8 billion rubles (60% growth).
The exit of some foreign producers from Russia and the necessity of substituting imports are creating opportunities to expand the presence of some Tatarstan companies in the domestic market. New services at the Republican Marketing Centre and the federal Import Substitution Exchange have been developed to look for potential suppliers and consumers.
It was said at the meeting that surfactants based on products of Nizhnekamskneftekhim PJSC for high mineralisation conditions had been created — they excel the analogues of Germany’s BASF in oil displacement. As a result, the developed surfactants increased the oil displacement coefficient up to 15%. Thanks to the new surfactants and polymers, additional production on pilot sites exceeded 1,000 tonnes.
At the end of the speech, Rafinat Yarullin said that the imposition of sanctions caused the necessity of changing the routes of export shipping.
“Shipping is the most complicated process now. Ammonia doesn’t have any problems. Mostly SIBUR has suffered because the situation with rubbers is complicated,” he said. It also became known the situation at TAIF-NK was fixed, it was shut down for three weeks because of disagreement. The enterprise was expected to be launched on 3 May.
The opening of the school in Mendeleyevsk scheduled for September 2024
An unexpected polemics unfolded regarding the construction of an educational cluster in Mendeleyevsk, Ammonia decided to fund to fight a deficit of staff in the region. At the board meeting of Tatneftekhiminvest-holding PJSC, acting head of Mendeleyevsk District, Tatarstan, Radmir Belyayev complained about a massive outflow of youth from this region. The impossibility of pursuing a college degree at home was named as the main reason for the departure of school graduates to other cities.
The last college specialised training chemists closed in Mendeleyevsk a year ago, which determined the youth outflow. Radmir Belyayev said that 281 school graduates left the city last year to study in other cities, and it is impossible to hold the negative process.
“Only 10% of the lads return to their homeland [after they obtain a profession],” he specified.
So in the future Mendeleyevsk can lose workers and specialists who will be needed when expanding Alabuga-2 Special Economic Zone and Ammonia-2 project, which is worth €1,5 billion. Now the staff deficit is assessed at 962 people, next year, it will grow to 1,124 people.
“Despite the high salary in the municipality equal to 73,000 rubles, school graduates continue leaving Mendeleyevsk District to get a profession — because of the absence of a college,” Radmir Belyayev was concerned.
One of the large employers of the region Ammonia made a decision to fund the construction of a new chemical and technological college for 800 students in Mendeleyevsk and allocate 157 million rubles for this. According to Radmir Belyayev, training in chemistry, biology, physics will be offered here. The construction will start next year. At the same time, he asked the Tatarstan president to allocate 80 million rubles to provide the school with equipment. He says that the republic’s co-financing could ensure a good start to the project for the creation of an educational cluster in Mendeleyevsk District together with Kazan National Research and Technological University and Ammonia. It includes not only the construction of the school with special training but also the construction of a college with further admission to the university. A trilateral agreement was signed this March, said Belyayev.
Within these agreements, Ammonia plans to build a new educational building of the college for 240 students and a hall of residence for 150 people. Nowadays the design is being created.
“The terms of reference were approved. The republic allocated 20 million rubles for the design. The opening is scheduled for September 2024,” Belyayev specified.
According to him, if all the educational infrastructure is created, a survey illustrated that 50% of graduates will be ready to stay in Mendeleyevsk.
“It is certainly necessary to build the school,” agreed Rustam Minnikhanov. “We will help with the equipment, I assure you that the topic is necessary. Do you confirm that you will invest?” he asked the director general of Ammonia who attended the board meeting.
“Yes, we do. The idea is to ‘seamlessly’ connect the school and the college,” Dmitry Makarov confirmed from his seat.