UCC Shchekinoazot confirmed guaranteed operation parameters of world’s first IMAP™ methanol and ammonia co-production plant

• In December, UCC Shchekinoazot (Tula region, Russia) successfully completed a test run of their newly erected methanol and ammonia co-production unit based on Haldor Topsoe’s IMAP Methanol+™ process.
• Production capacity is 450,000 tons of methanol and 135,000 tons of ammonia per year.
• The plant is the first greenfield project in the world to be based on Topsoe’s unique, flexible, and
  CO₂ neutral ammonia and methanol co-production process, IMAP™.

UCC Shchekinoazot has approved the results of a recent guarantee test run which confirmed that the plant delivered the guaranteed production volumes with the anticipated natural gas consumption. The test was supervised by Topsoe specialists, who verified that plant operated safely and as expected. 

“We are pleased that the performance test has been concluded with a positive outcome. We opted for the IMAP™ co-production process because of its streamlined process layout with no shift reactors or CO₂ removal unit. Also, the flexibility of this technology allowed us to replace an aging ammonia production unit with the considerably more energy-efficient IMAP™ process, while further expanding our methanol production capacity,” says Anatoly Surba, CEO of Shchekinoazot.

The proprietary IMAP Methanol+™ process design is intended for use where methanol is the main product, ammonia is the co-product, and there is no need to produce urea. Ammonia production capacity ranges from 25 to 35 percent. IMAP™ technology (Integrated Methanol and Ammonia Production) also exists in versions that allow flexible co-production of larger shares of ammonia and/or urea.

“We are delighted to see the world’s first grassroots IMAP™ plant begin operation at our long-standing customer and partner UCC Shchekinoazot. Being part of their ongoing success story makes us proud, and even more so because they have invested in coproducing methanol and ammonia, which is a unique Topsoe technology,” says Peter Vang Christensen, Managing Director of Haldor Topsoe’s Moscow office.

Collaboration between UCC Shchekinoazot and Topsoe dates back to 2007 when the construction of the first methanol plant started – it was launched in 2011. In 2012, a hydrogen unit with the capacity of 26,000 Nm3/hr was built and commissioned. UCC Shchekinoazot is currently implementing their third methanol production plant under Topsoe license with a capacity of 500,000 tons of methanol per year.

Topsoe and Shchekinoazot also join forces in a joint social project – the Tolstoy, Topsoe and Sokol Families’ Foundation – that supports gifted children from families in challenging circumstances.

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More information

Svend Ravn, Media Relations Manager, Haldor Topsoe A/S
Phone: +45 22 75 43 58
Mail: svra@topsoe.com    

Oksana Kolyaskina, Head of Press Relations Service, Shchekinoazot
Phone: +7 (48751) 9-28-98
Mail: konik@azot.net  

About UCC Schekinoazot

United Chemical Company “Shchekinoazot” specializes in production of industrial chemicals, engineering plastics, synthetic fibers, special and consumer products. Having considerable expertise, knowledge, and professional competence, the company offers its customers high-quality solutions in chemistry for oil and gas extraction, transportation and processing, motor-vehicle construction, electronics, pharmaceutical, agrochemical, pulp and paper industry, water treatment, production of textiles, construction materials, industrial and consumer commodities.

Shchekinoazot is one of the leaders in production of various chemicals (such as methanol, caprolactam, cyclohexane, urea formaldehyde concentrate, highly concentrated low-methanol formalin, phenol formaldehyde resins, sulphuric acid, liquid technical ammonia, ammonium sulphate, oxygen, liquid carbon dioxide, carbon dioxide for food, dry ice, engineering plastics, non-woven thermally bonded fabric such as Spunbond, recycled polypropylene, ion-exchange membranes, consumer goods (household chemicals, linoleum, and nylon products), and chemical equipment (the Company manufactures proprietary electrodialysis units).

The company is a large exporter of products in the countries of Western and Eastern Europe and the CIS, Asia, USA and Latin America.

High product quality and assessment by consumers are confirmed by awards: Quality Mark of the 21st Century, Russian Quality, Best Russian Exporter of the Year 2013, Best Exporter from Tula Region to CIS Member States, Golden Mercury National Award, etc.

The enterprise was one of the first in the country to be certified in accordance with the international standards ISO-9001, OHSAS-18001, including ecology, occupational health and safety (ISO-14001), and production of carbon dioxide for food (FSSC 22000).

The company consistently implements its Corporate Development Strategy. The amount of manufacturing investment in 2005–2018 exceeded $882M. Over the past 13 years the company has implemented 16 investment and modernization projects.

About Haldor Topsoe A/S
Haldor Topsoe is the world leader in high-performance catalysts and proprietary technologies for the chemical and refining industries. Based on cutting-edge research and development, we help our customers achieve optimal performance in all phases from design to daily operations – in the most responsible way. Topsoe is headquartered in Denmark and serves customers across the globe. In 2017, our revenue was approximately 760 million US dollars, and we employ some 2,100 employees. www.topsoe.com