Metafrax has concluded a contract for construction of a new gaseous nitrogen plant
Top managers of Metafrax Chemical Company (Gubakha, Perm krai) have concluded a contract for construction of a new gaseous nitrogen plant. At the end of 2007 the contract with Air Liquide (France) came into force. This company will supply the engineering project, technologies and equipment for the new plant.
We have chosen Air Liquide because this company takes the leading position in this industry - says Nikolay Ilyukhin, the Technical Director of JSC Metafrax.
Manufacturing and delivery of the plant equipment will take about 19 months, therefore the gaseous nitrogen plant will be commenced at the end of 2009.
The project value is 7 million EURO while 2,5 million EURO will be invested in the project in 2008. The company invests the own assets to the project implementation. The project payback period will be about 3,5 years as Nikolay Ilyukhin assumes.
Metafrax uses gaseous nitrogen for the in-company production processes, for storage of flammable liquids, as the fire extinguishing media, as well as for calibration of laboratory instruments.
Presently Metafrax's average consumption of the air is 3 500 cub. m/hour and nitrogen is 4200 cub. m/hour. New gaseous nitrogen plant will produce 5 200 m³/h of nitrogen and 4 000 m³/h of compressed air. This volume will be enough to satisfy the company's needs even if new productions will be launched and to stop operation of old nitrogen and compressed air plants, - says Nikolay Ilyukhin.
One of the main project targets is energy saving. The plant will consume only 0,25 kW per 1 m³ of nitrogen and oxygen production which is 2,5 times less. Therefore nitrogen and oxygen production costs will be 2 times reduced.
Today Metafrax is one of the leading manufacturers of methanol, formalin and urotropine in Russia. Share of commercial formalin in the Russian market is 70%, share of urea formaldehyde concentrate is 75%, polyamide share is 63%.
Besides the company in cooperation with Dynea (Finland) manufactures synthetic resins. Metadynea joint venture is the second largest player of the Russian market of synthetic resins with the total share as of 25%.