Azerbaijan's SOCAR awards two contracts to Italy's NextChem to upgrade Baku refinery

BAKU. Sept 17 (Interfax) - The Maire Tecnimont Group's NextChem, through its subsidiary NextChem Tech, has received two contracts from the State Oil Company of the Azerbaijani Republic (SOCAR) to upgrade and expand the Heydar Aliyev Oil Refinery (HAOR) complex in Baku, the Milan-listed Maire said in a statement.

"NextChem Tech will conduct a technological assessment and deliver a process design package to upgrade the existing sulphur recovery unit (SRU) with oxygen enriched air, a cost-effective and flexible solution for expanding the current sulphur production capacity. Additionally, NextChem Tech will provide the licensing and the process design package based on its proprietary NX SulphuRec technology for a new SRU and outstanding recovery efficiency," it said.

These solutions are aimed at reducing the environmental impact of acid and sour gases produced during the refining process, it said.

The refinery's throughput capacity is currently 6.5 million tonnes per year. It is carrying out extensive modernization and upgrades, after which it will be able to refine all types of crude from the countries of the Caspian region. The project should be completed in 2027.