OREANDA-NEWS. On August 18, 2008 Stroytransgaz has begun constructing a production complex for obtaining ethylene and polyethylene under high pressure, the press-centre of Stroytransgaz reported.

The facility will be located in Noyy Urengoy, in the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug. At production capacity of 400,000 tons of polyethylene per year, the Novy Urengoy gas-chemical complex will be one of the largest facilities of its kind in Russia.

The complex will employ a single-technology chain production cycle with the following phases:

- Recovering ethylene from feed gas

- Obtaining ethylene through pyrolysis of ethane with subsequent separation of gas by fractions and removal of impurities from the ethylene, using equipment and technology from company Linde

- Deriving polyethylene from ethylene through a high-pressure pipe reactor outfitted with three processing chains, using Salzgitter equipment and technology from Bazell.

Along with its primary production, the gas-chemical complex will turn out wide fraction hydrocarbons and methane particles.

VNIPIgazdobycha, a Saratov enterprise, is general designer of objects for the plant and the network extending beyond the territory of the gas-chemical complex site. Three companies – Linde, Tekkhnimont, and VNIPIneft – will install the processing units for ethylene and polyethylene. Company Novy Urengoy Gas Chemicals Complex, a wholly owned subsidiary of Gazprom, is customer for the project. 

As general contractor for construction, Stroytransgaz will perform building, assembly, and pre-commissioning work for the ethylene and polyethylene processing units, take part in inspection and reconstruction of previously installed equipment, and participate in the complex’s commissioning. Companies Linde and Tekkhnimont will be included in distinct aspects of work to complete the facility. Construction is expected to take about three years.

The production complex will be located very near the polar circle. Climatic conditions in the area, a lengthy period of lower average daily temperatures and early formation of deep snow covering, complicate construction and assembly.

At this time, the construction site has already been prepared for building work, practically all the imported equipment has been received, a portion of the construction-assembly work – including erecting a number of objects for plant support and maintenance – has been completed. Stroytransgaz-M carried out the latter work.