TPi January 2015

business & market news

Inauguration of major Russian PVC production facility

Jacques van Rijckevorsel, chairman of the board of SolVin.

RusVinyl will provide its products to the under-supplied Russian market, and aims to further develop downstream operations and consumption of petrochemicals. Leonid Mikhelson, chairman of SIBUR’s board of directors, said, “SIBUR has increased its production capacity of ethylene in Kstovo, which guarantees the supply of the raw material to the new PVC complex. This has ensured the creation of a new, competitive and cutting edge industrial facility. The best global practices and technologies have been introduced to the Russian market due to the realisation of the latest large-scale investment project. The new petrochemical facility will beneficially impact Russia’s economic development by meeting the challenge of import substitution.” “SolVin is proud to have successfully completed this project, which is among its biggest industrial achievements ever. SolVin’s experts from across the globe pulled together with SIBUR’s team made this the most modern and most environment-friendly, fully integrated PVC production plant in the world,” said

The RusVinyl PVC production facility in Kstovo, Nizhny Novgorod region, ranking among Russia’s largest petrochemical investment projects, has been inaugurated. Russian president Vladimir Putin attended the opening ceremony, along with Alex van Meeuwen, Belgian ambassador to Russia; Valery Shantsev, governor of Nizhny Novgorod region; and senior representatives of SIBUR and SolVin. RusVinyl is a joint venture between gas processing and petrochemical company SIBUR and SolVin, and was created to construct a new PVC production site that could meet a significant part of domestic demand. It is one of the largest PVC producers in Russia, with an annual production capacity of 330kt of PVC and 225kt of caustic soda. It will benefit from the nearby supply of ethylene, a key raw material for PVC, from SIBUR-Kstovo’s steam cracker, expanded to 360kt especially for the RusVinyl site. Salt, the other feedstock for PVC production, will be provided from Belarus and from the Astrakhan region of Russia.

The project, with an investment exceeding RUB60bn, entirely complies with Russia’s strictest environmental regulations. Each section of the facility has multi-tier safety systems, and an advanced membrane method prevents hazardous substances from being formed during electrolysis. RusVinyl also uses a patented technology that makes electrolysis completely waste- free. RusVinyl is included in Russia’s Oil and Gas Chemical Development Framework through to 2030. It is also on the List of Priority Projects of the Russian Ministry of Industry and Trade, and has been given priority status by the Government of the Nizhny Novgorod region.

SIBUR – Russia www.sibur.com

SolVin – Belgium info.solvin@solvay.com www.solvay.com

New look for Hub Le Bas website Hub Le Bas has updated its web presence with a new site that features a modern interface, in-depth product information, improved navigation and a branch locator. website to better reflect its current online strategies and ambitions for the future. The new site, which features a more intuitive, contemporary design and a modernised company logo, is also in line with the increased importance of the digital customer for the business.

expect to obtain a large amount of information online (eg sizes, finishes, steel grades, delivery information, technical specifications and add-on services), and the new site caters to these requirements. A major new feature is the branch locator, which is an improved way for prospective buyers to contact their local depot. “We have six branches across the UK – Bilston (West Midlands), London, Bristol, Manchester, Leicester and Wakefield,” said Mr Benbow. “We want to make sure that customers make contact with the right depot as quickly as possible and get the real person support they are looking for.”

The company is a stockist and distributor of steel products in the UK, serving clients such as shop fitters, material handling specialists, tube manipulators, construction and civil engineering businesses, fabricators, and sports and leisure equipment manufacturers. Its range includes over 8,000 steel product lines, including precision steel tubes, conduit and fittings, steel merchant bar, spiral welded tubes and structural hollow sections.

“As our client base is changing, so must we,” said managing director Martin Benbow. “We are a forward-looking business that is increasingly embracing new cutting-edge technologies, and we wanted our online presence to reflect this. More and more of our customers come into contact with us for the first time though our site; it’s very important that they get the right first impression.”

Hub Le Bas – UK www.hublebas.co.uk

Improvements to the website go beyond aesthetics. Business users

As part of its ongoing plans for growth, Hub Le Bas decided to upgrade its

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Tube Products International January 2015

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