Baku, March 1, AZERTAC

On February 27, SOCAR Polymer Plant produced the first polypropylene product for demonstration and testing purposes, with the participation of SOCAR President Rovnag Abdullayev and company vice-presidents, according to SOCAR.

As part of a working visit to Sumgait, the SOCAR President inspected Azerikimya Production Union (PU), SOCAR Carbamide and SOCAR Polymer before the production starts in the new plants. The modernization and development of existing and new facilities within Azerikimya PU is currently underway and is expected to be completed in 2019.

Construction work at the SOCAR Carbamide Plant is at the completion stage with final testing work due to start in a month. The production of ammonia, the first product in the plant is scheduled for August 2018. Another product, nitrogen fertilizer (carbamide) is expected in October. Approximately 150,000 tons of carbamide will meet domestic demand while saving $55 million spent annually on fertilizer imported to Azerbaijan. The remaining capacity, of approximately 500,000 tons will be exported, yielding additional revenue for the country.

SOCAR Polymer consists of Polypropylene (PP) and High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) plants. The commissioning of both plants is scheduled for the 2nd and 4th quarters of 2018. Employees have been recruited and are currently following professional development programs and receiving specialized training. The digitalization of the SOCAR Polymer plants will be managed through SAP (Systems Analysis and Program Development) modules to enhance industrial efficiency.

In the course of production test, the polypropylene pellet cutting was launched and the final polypropylene product produced for the first time.

SOCAR President Rovnag Abdullayev said: “The revival of the chemical processing industry in Sumgait is a new and sustainable source of income for our country. Three major projects of SOCAR in the processing and chemical industry are to be completed this year. Commissioning of the STAR Refinery in Turkey, SOCAR Carbamide and SOCAR Polymer in Azerbaijan this year will give extra momentum to the next stage of the overall mission, which adds value to our national wealth.”

The largest chemical enterprises - SOCAR Polymer and SOCAR Carbamide, built in the region in recent years, will be put into operation this year. An important feature of SOCAR's projects in the chemical industry is that these enterprises will establish a value chain with other companies of SOCAR. The Heydar Aliyev Oil Refinery will be integrated into the value chain with an Ethylene-Polyethylene Plant of Azerikimya and two plants of SOCAR Polymer in Sumgait, which will ensure higher efficiency in the production. By contributing to the raw material supply of the Petkim Complex, another strategic asset of SOCAR, STAR Refinery in Turkey will connect the two enterprises in a single value chain.