Irkutsk Oil Co begins launch of polymer plant, expects first product in H1

IRKUTSK. April 30 (Interfax) - Irkutsk Oil Company (INK) has completed the main pre-commissioning work at the Irkutsk Polymer Plant, the third phase of its own gas project, and begun to start it up, the company's press service reported.

Ethane is being fed to the plant and it has begun the "running-in stage using its own hydrocarbon feedstock in line with the program to reach production capacity," the press release said.

This makes it possible to proceed to the gradual launch of the main process units with production of polymerization quality commercial ethylene and its subsequent feeding to the gas-phase polymerization unit to produce commercial types of polyethylene, the company said.

"The launch of the Irkutsk Polymer Plant is being carried out in accordance with the previously planned schedule. We plan to get the first batch of finished product in the first half of 2025," the company said.

INK said the plant produced the first polyethylene granules in December 2024 from shipped-in feedstock in the course of pre-commissioning. Key process systems for the production of polyethylene were successfully tested.

The plant is the first in Eastern Siberia to produce polymers from its own feedstock, ethane. Its polyethylene will be used in various sectors, including construction, medicine and light industry.

The plant is the third phase of the gas project that INK has been implementing in the northern part of Irkutsk Region since 2014. The plant's construction cost was previously estimated at about 250 billion rubles.