Sibur’s (Moscow; www.sibur.com) Perm subsidiary and the Perm Territory government signed a special investment contract to set up a new 100,000 metric tons per year (m.t./yr) facility producing dioctyl terephthalate (DOTP), a general-purpose plasticizer. Production is scheduled to start in 2019.
DOTP is a key component in floor and roof coatings, wallpaper, cable compounds and other construction products, ensuring higher strength, wear and cold resistance. In addition, as a phthalate-free plasticiser, DOTP meets the highest environmental requirements.
DOTP production will use Sibur’s feedstock and become yet another process stage along the value chain. The Russian market of common plasticisers faces a shortage of about 60,000 m.t./yr, which is imported from Europe. The Perm-based project will substitute a major part of alternative product imports and enable plasticiser supplies to export markets, where the demand for DOTP is also rapidly growing.
As part of the project, the company signed a license agreement with Aekyung Petrochemical, South Korea. NIPIgaspererabotka, a leading Russian research centre for facility design, supply, logistics, and construction was selected as the general designer to develop the design and engineering solutions. Russian contractors will be engaged for construction and commissioning works.
“The project is yet another step down the import substitution path in Russia’s petrochemical industry,” said Dmitry Konov, Chairman of Sibur’s Management Board. “By developing advanced hydrocarbon feedstock processing, we offer our existing and potential customers, such as utility, construction and other providers, quality products and long-term collaboration.”