SUMGAYIT, Azerbaijan, September 16. A new stage of modernization is beginning at SOCAR's Azerkimya Production Union (PU), Process Director at the PU, Samir Salimli, said during a media tour of SOCAR's Ethylene-Polyethylene Plant, held as part of the "September 20 – Oil Workers' Day", Trend's correspondent reports from the event.
The director noted that a modernization and reconstruction project is currently being implemented at the facility.
"The project involves upgrading automation and control systems. The engineering phase is 95 percent complete, and on-site work will begin next year," Salimli explained.
According to him, in addition to ethylene and propylene, the facility also produces by-products such as hydrogen, a butylene-butadiene fraction, liquid pyrolysis resin, and heavy resin.
Providing information on the operations of Azerkimya, Salimli noted that the PU comprises the Ethylene Production, Low-Density High-Pressure Polyethylene Production, and Steam-Electric Power Production units.
He pointed out that low-density, high-pressure polyethylene is produced at pressures of 1,800–2,500 bar and, after meeting domestic demand, is exported to Türkiye and European countries.
"Our steam and electricity generation facility supplies our enterprises and SOCAR Polymer with high-, medium-, and low-pressure steam. Electricity is also generated here. The electricity produced from the excess steam is transmitted to other SOCAR facilities and the Sumgayit electrical grid," he added.
Salimli mentioned that the hydrogen is utilized at both Azerkimya and SOCAR Polymer.
"At Azerkimya, hydrogen is used in selective hydrogenation reactors. The objective here is to convert acetylene compounds present in our primary products—ethylene and propylene—into ethylene and propylene through hydrogenation. Meanwhile, at SOCAR Polymer, hydrogen is used to meet internal demand," the director emphasized.
According to him, the export markets for Azerkimya's products include Türkiye, China, European countries, Estonia, and others.
Salimli also noted that Azerkimya's production capacity has been increased under previous projects, taking into account the internal demand of both SOCAR Polymer and Azerkimya itself.
"Under the project implemented from 2016 through 2021, our production capacity was increased by 40% for ethylene and 70% for propylene. The facility has been operating at this capacity level for 5 years now," he added.
