Maxim Novikov: ‘We have partners to work with in terms of import substitution’

“We were ready to work in the current conditions”

In an interview with Realnoe Vremya, held this March, speaking about the oil refining industry, well-known Russian scientist, corresponding member of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Bashkortostan, Doctor of Technical Sciences, Professor Elshad Telyashev stressed: “In Russia, a golden time has come for the development of domestic technologies.”

It's not just about refining. Science, manufacturers of equipment, measuring instruments, software, low-tonnage chemistry, catalysts, reagents and much more received an additional impetus to development. With the withdrawal of some global brands from the Russian market, the vacant niches began to be actively occupied by domestic companies and manufacturers from friendly countries.

Back in November 2022, in a conversation with a Realnoe Vremya journalist, director general of TAIF-NK JSC Maxim Novikov expressed confidence in successfully overcoming the sanctions pressure on the industry:

“We understand that imports are always at risk, and the domestic engineering industry is actively developing and is capable of much. “Russia is large and we have resources. We just need to find the right, competent supplier, work out all the nuances with them, which we have been doing. And we started this work a long time ago. The companies have been identified.

Maxim Novikov also noted:

“We have partners to work with. The only thing is that we need to not only find an alternative, but also adjust the production of our new partners to ourselves in some way: we need to get to know each other well in order to ensure a reliable and high-quality transition from original spare parts, maybe even from original equipment, which was originally stated in the basic projects. The process is not standing still, and, moreover, it began earlier than last year. The government of the country has long been paying attention to the need for import substitution, and by and large we were already ready to work in today's conditions.

Joining forces

Confirming the words of the director general, chief mechanic of TAIF-NK JSC Rustam Bagaviev noted:

“The work on import substitution began back in 2015-2016, when we faced the problem of the availability of spare parts for imported equipment. Especially pumping equipment. At that time, spare parts for the pump were very expensive, we went down the substitution path. We found companies in Russia that produce pumps, they already manufactured housings and basic parts for our needs. But it was with such a special scale that import substitution began in early 2022.

The business responded to the new challenges of the time with cooperation. Chief mechanics of Russian enterprises decided to join forces in the search for optimal solutions to find alternatives to foreign equipment and components:

“We have set up the scientific and technical centre under the Council of Chief Mechanics, where the chief mechanics of Russia's leading industries work together to form a common base of service providers, manufacturers of materials, parts, spare parts, etc. for imported equipment. We have also created our own database of possible implementing companies. As part of this work, we inspect organisations, get acquainted with personnel, equipment, availability of laboratories, design departments, technical control. After each such inspection visit, our specialists create a report with a description of what we saw, a list of services that they can provide to us. Later, when choosing contractors, we use this database," Rustam Bagaviev talked about the steps taken.

Preference is given to domestic manufacturers. If it is necessary not to completely replace the unit, but to maintain the foreign equipment in working condition, a selection of contractors is carried out to ensure the proper quality of parts and components. TAIF-NK production specialists themselves take an active part in this process:

“Using measurements, 3D scanning, and composition analysis, we develop technical documentation and order the manufacturing of spare parts for foreign equipment at domestic factories. The process is not always easy, but it is moving forward nonetheless," said Artem Shcherbina, the deputy director general for commerce at TAIF-NK JSC, at the Realnoe Vremya's mobile studio at the Russia Halal Expo exhibition, part of the Russia — Islamic World: KazanForum 2024 International Economic Forum in May of this year.

By now, the oil refining company has almost completed the import substitution of dynamic pump components. At the Refinery, a lot of work has been done on the Siemens centrifugal compressor, which plays a crucial role in the hydrotreating process.

“We disassembled the entire compressor, inspected it, and fully measured the flow section with the expectation that a company from St. Petersburg would help us manufacture a new flow section," Vladimir Lakhomov, the director of the Oil Refinery, said in an interview with a Realnoe Vremya journalist.

Specialists from Saint-Petersburg coped with the task. The compressor has not only been updated, but also upgraded — the improved compressor plug now allows the equipment to operate in different modes, ensuring successful processing of different types of raw materials.

Under the same scheme, the Elliott Group compressor is now being improved. In the future, similar modernisation of centrifugal compressors will take place at other plants.

“Russia can produce everything. The main thing is that an impulse is needed: to create a request, to consolidate the interest of oil refineries with the capabilities of domestic engineering," Rustam Bagaviev is sure.

The company's specialists are looking for analogues of the equipment and components, the manufacture of which has not yet been established in Russia, in friendly countries. For example, in China.

“In 2023-2024, there were several visits to China by our delegations, according to the results of which promising suppliers were selected," said Artem Shcherbina.

In September 2023, business representatives from China themselves came to Tatarstan for the first ROSTCHI International Forum — a platform for building a dialogue between the business of Russia, China and friendly countries. In total, representatives of 24 states and most regions of Russia gathered in Kazan. The success of the forum was undeniable, and in November 2024 Kazan once again gathered the parties interested in developing business contacts for ROSTCHI 2024.

Energy is no exception

The current geopolitical situation pushes Russian companies to actively search for alternative solutions in the domestic market on a whole range of issues. Energy is no exception. TAIF-NK has long been involved in this work. Suppliers have been selected, contracts have been signed.

Maxim Novikov, the director general of TAIF-NK JSC, told about this back in April last year in the format of a real-time on-site studio at the TEF 2023 forum:

“Two large-scale projects are implemented under the import substitution programme. We are talking about replacing European high-voltage frequency converters with domestic ones, including devices for scheduled engine start-up at 15 MW," he noted.

To convey the seriousness of the project, Vasily Vasilkov, who worked at that time as the chief power engineer of TAIF-NK JSC, explained:

“This is a colossal power for a single engine power, I believe that there are no more such engines in Tatarstan. 15 MW is enough to provide power supply to residents of an entire district of Kazan without industrial consumers, including street lighting, during off-peak consumption," he explained.

Today, the work in this direction also continues. Ramil Nurullin, the hief power engineer of TAIF-NK JSC, shared his plans for the foreseeable future in an interview with Realnoe Vremya in October this year:

“In the mode of planned and unplanned replacements, foreign-made equipment is being replaced by domestic ones. In particular, we are talking about frequency converters on electric motors. This year, we replaced the variable frequency drive at a critical position of the plant: the hydrogen production unit. We are currently running in. There are no complaints about its work. Import substitution will allow not only to calmly form the acquisition of spare parts and carry out maintenance, but also help save money.”

According to the expert, the company has developed a programme for the next three years for all production facilities of the oil refining complex. Foreign equipment is put in reserve, and domestic samples come in their place, as a rule, not inferior to foreign ones either in efficiency or durability. At the same time, we improved the scheme by creating reliable backup systems to minimise the risks of production shutdown.

Import substitution in ACS TP and CMI

During the shutdown of production for the period of major repairs, the replacement of imported controllers with domestic analogues is in full swing. At the Gasoline Plant, German equipment gave way to a Russian product.

“The old system worked on Siemens equipment, and we offered the new one entirely on a Russian controller (manufactured in Yekaterinburg) and Russian software. To fulfill the task, we had to fully study the software in production, adapt it to the Russian one, and run it on the stands," Alexander Morubov, a representative of the Tatarstan company Khimpromproekt, who was engaged in the installation, explained to Realnoe Vremya.

For a year now, the equipment has been working in real conditions and has proven itself perfectly.

The work continues on import substitution of control and measuring devices. Tens of thousands of high-precision devices operating in difficult conditions of aggressive environments, high pressure and temperatures are to be replaced. Some are purchased in friendly countries, and some have already been mastered by Russian companies.

“For example, a company from Obninsk, in direct cooperation with the experts of TAIF-NK JSC, after carrying out design and survey works, established the production of multi-zone thermocouples of a new modification for reactors of one of the facilities. Two such thermocouples have already been installed in reactors. Unlike foreign multi-zone thermocouples originally installed in reactors, which, if damaged, lose the readings of all probe points, the thermocouple probes from Obninsk, with possible damage in an arbitrary place along the length, lose the operability of measurement points that are only below the damage site, which allows for quick identification of the failure location," explained the chief metrologist of TAIF-NK JSC, Sergey Dolganov.

According to Sergey Dolganov, agreements have been reached between manufacturers and oil refiners not only on the serial purchase of thermocouples and ongoing technical support, but also on joint efforts to improve existing equipment and develop new solutions tailored to the needs of production.

A similar model of cooperation is now being established with RIP PLC company from Chelyabinsk — a manufacturer of gamma radiation blocks, extended linear emitters, densitometers, level indicators, and isotope level gauges.

Not a problem, but a task

The focus is on such essential components in the production processes of the oil refining industry as catalysts, additives, and reagents.

“When Western suppliers refused to supply additives, catalysts, reagents, it was a stab in the back for us, because without additives for diesel fuel we will not be able to produce high-quality diesel fuel in demand on the market. “In the winter months, our production consumes about 100 tonnes of additives, which improve the cold flow properties of our diesel fuel," said Alexey Taymanov, chief technologist and head of the Technical Department at TAIF-NK JSC, speaking about the challenge faced by oil refiners in light of Western anti-Russian sanctions.

TAIF-NK has long viewed emerging issues not as a problem, but as a task requiring solution.

In particular, this refers to activated lignite used in liquid-phase reactors with a suspended additive.

“This suspension layer is created using a special coal additive, which is supplied to us in specialised containers. The additive is unloaded using a special system and fed into the reactor block, where, under hydrogen pressure and high temperature, thermal cracking takes place — that is, the breakdown of bitumen into lighter petroleum products.” Previously, its supplies were imported from an unfriendly country. Currently, the company's specialists, together with specialists of Russian companies working in the coal mining industry, are selecting the technology to obtain a coal additive of the necessary quality to ensure our production," Maksim Gritsenko, the deputy director of the HRCC for production, said.

According to the company, over 270 samples of coal materials have been tested to date. Worthwhile options have been found. However, the search for even more advanced additives continues. Including to avoid reliance on a single supplier and always maintain flexibility in options.

The production of high-octane components for commercial gasoline — MTBE (methyl tert-butyl ether) and TAME (methyl tert-amyl ether) — has been established at TAIF-NK since 2009.

Domestic additives for the production of diesel fuel have been fully replaced. A suitable solution has also been found for catalysts:

“The catalyst for the catalytic cracking unit at the Gasoline Plant has been replaced for us by the Ishimbay Catalyst Plant. Previously, we used a catalyst from Germany, now we have conducted a pilot industrial test and continued to use a domestic catalyst. A trend towards increased gasoline yields has even been observed," the chief technologist of TAIF-NK noted the positive aspect of import substitution.

“You grow only by stepping out of your comfort zone”

Chief Engineer of TAIF-NK JSC Alexey Khramov is sure of this. In an interview with Realnoe Vremya, he stressed:

“Only a headwind has lifting power. Challenge theory: a response to the problem. Once you solve it, you assert yourself, believe in yourself. But most importantly, you get new knowledge. There is a huge development in this struggle, including in overcoming these sanctions. We are getting an invaluable new experience. And what I especially like is that I see that we, the processors, have turned to a domestic equipment manufacturer. The best thing is that, seeing the demand, seeing the need for their products, domestic suppliers of devices, suppliers of additives, suppliers of reagents will strive to develop and improve the characteristics of our products. All this is the development not only of TAIF-NK, but also of our suppliers.

And the oil refining company itself is actively developing and expanding the list of products offered to the market. In particular, TAIF-NK is setting up the production of concentrated hydrocracking residue (CHCR) — a product in demand by the domestic ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgy industries — at a newly built facility, primarily using Russian technologies.

A new product has also been offered to farmers — sulfurous bentonite, a fertilizer designed to replenish the sulfur deficiency in the soil. The tests showed a significant increase in yields of crops such as sunflower, rapeseed, soybeans, corn, wheat, peas, and barley.

Euro 6 diesel fuel was awarded the highest award of the All-Russian quality competition 100 Best Goods of Russia. In addition, Arctic automotive fuel has been created — with an ultra-low crystallisation temperature.

The company also announced its readiness to produce jet aviation fuel on an industrial scale with improved characteristics that significantly exceed the requirements of GOST and the technical regulations of the Customs Union in terms of quality characteristics. And this is the contribution of the TAIF-NK JSC team to the import substitution and improvement of the capabilities of the country's oil refining industry.