Topprom to open plant to produce sorbent from coal in 2027 at cost of 13 bln rubles
KEMEROVO. Feb 22 (Interfax) - Russian coal group Topprom plans to open a plant to produce commercial sorbent based on hard coal mined in the Kuznetsk Basin in 2027 at a cost of about 13 billion rubles, the company, based in Novokuznetsk, Kemerovo Region, told Interfax.
"In terms of its qualitative characteristics the produced sorbent will be on par with international analogs. The construction of the plant will make it possible to ensure up to 70% import substitution in our segment of the market," Topprom said, adding that Russian companies now import this product.
The company also said that the creation of production facilities for intensive processing of coal is part of the program to develop Russia's coal industry for the period to 2030.
Sorbents are used to remove contaminants from the air, water, solutions, gases and soil in the chemical, mining, metals and oil production and refining industries, Topprom said.
The project is expected to create 200 new jobs.
Topprom announced the plans to build the plant in early 2023, but did not provide specifics on the project at the time. It was also reported that the plant would be built by subsidiary Aktivnye Ugli LLC.
Meanwhile, Russian environmental watchdog Rosprirodnadzor posted information on its website that public hearings will be held in March on the preliminary materials of an environmental impact study and project documentation for the planned construction of a plant to produce activated carbon in the Novokuznetsk municipal district, "west of [Topprom's] Schedrukhinskaya Central Preparation Plant LLC."
The Unified State Register of Legal Entities showed that 99% of Aktivnye Ugli LLC, which was incorporated at the end of 2018, has been held as collateral by state bank VTB since January 2023.
Topprom includes the Schedrukhinskaya, Taibinskaya (shut down since June 2022) and Koksovaya coal preparation plants and transport company Transavto LLC. The group's only mining asset is Yubileinaya. In January 2023, Topprom also acquired the mothballed Abashevskaya underground mine from Raspadskaya and plans to mine its reserves using Yubileinaya's mine workings, without demothballing it.