[1]Concern Stirol JSC, part of OSTCHEM holding consolidating nitrogen fertilizers producers of Group DF, has launched a large-scale project to diagnose its ammonia pipelines. According to Sergiy Pavliuchuk, Chairman of the Board of Concern Stirol, the complex of works related to the diagnostics and repairs of pipelines transporting liquefied ammonia and ammonia gas will cost UAH 23 million. Diagnostics and repairs will be carried out at 150 collectors of liquefied ammonia and ammonia gas totalling 14 kilometres in length.
“All the works are carried out using the latest technologies in capillary, ultrasonic and magnetic particle powder methods. The main purpose of these works is achieving higher production safety. We are using the temporary suspension in production as much as possible to assess the condition of all the pipelines and undertake all necessary repairs,” explained Mr Pavliuchuk.
This project is implemented not only by the specialists of Concern Stirol, including employees of its shops and Technical Diagnostics Centre, but also by five contractors – DIEKS Engineering Supervision Company (Dnipropetrovsk), Ukrneftegazekspert (Kharkiv), Donbas Expert Centre (Donetsk), Eastern ETC (Kharkiv), and Donetsky ETC (Donetsk).
Also, the works will include a separate technical diagnostics of an ammonia storage facility with the capacity of 10,000 tons. “Initially, we planned to repair this facility in 2014, but with the launch of a large-scale programme of repairs we decided to use the temporary suspension in production to the maximum benefit,” explained Technical Director Vitaliy Ponomarenko.
A major campaign of repairs at OSTECHEM’s production units was launched in September 2013. Major repairs are currently carried out at Concern Stirol’s No.1 Ammonia Shop, No.1-V Combined Ammonia Plant, Urea Shop (Section 1), and Ammonium Nitrate shops.
In 2013, OSTCHEM will invest in the modernization and planned overhauls of its four nitrogen chemicals producers around UAH 1.5 billion, of which some 30-40% will account for industrial safety improvements. “Production safety is the main priority of modernization of our companies,” explained Oleksandr Khalin, OSTCHEM General Director.
In September 2013, Dmitriy Firtash, Chairman of the Group DF Supervisory Council, initiated a major conference of Ukraine’s chemists to discuss the issues of raising labour safety standards at domestic chemical sector producers. At this conference, Mr Firtash proposed that the Ukrainian government and industrial safety supervision agencies reform the system of industrial production and labour safety.
Over 2010-2013, OSTCHEM invested UAH 3.4 million in modernization of its four nitrogen chemicals producers in Ukraine.