“POLYEF” strengthens its influence in Russian market of polyethylene terephthalate

General Director of “SIBUR-Polyethylene Terephthalate” – a management company of JSC “POLYEF” (Blagoveshensk) and “SIBUR-Polyethylene Terephthalate” (Tver) Vladislaw Kuznetsov has taken the floor with the report “The structure of Russian polyethylene terephthalate and the role of JSC “POLYEF” in development of polyether business” at the forum “Big Chemistry” in Ufa.

JSC “POLYEF” is one of five working in Russia and CIS producers of polyethylene terephthalate together with “MOGILEVHIMVOLOKNO” (Byelorussia), “ALCO-NAFTA” (Kaliningrad), “SENEJ” (Moscow region) and “SIBUR-Polyethylene Terephthalate” (Tver). The output of high-quality granulated product reaches 136 thousand tons annually here. Thereby the Bashkir enterprise is considered one of the biggest producers of polyethylene terephthalate in Russia and the only producer of terepthalic acid in the country – the main stuff for manufacturing of polyethylene terephthalate.

Russian producers still produce mainly bottled polyethylene terephthalate and the needs in fiber polyethylene terephthalate are satisfied mainly due to deliveries from Byelorussia and Asian countries. Development of the market of fiber polyethylene terephthalate is closely connected with development of light and textile industry, which main assets are substantially out of date.

“Russia goes behind developed countries by the index of polyethylene terephthalate consumption per capita” – Vladislaw Kuznetsov explained – “In the future we intend to shorten this gap. The average annual growth of polyethylene terephthalate market within the period of 2012-2014 is expected at the level of 2-4%”.

Growing demand in polyethylene terephthalate and the striving for import substitution is considered the base for active development of polyether branch in Russia. The share of import actively goes down from 93% in 203 to 46% in 2011. IN 2011 “ALCO-NAFTA” enlarged production of polyethylene terephthalate in Russia due to putting of new capacities into exploitation. But since this plant is mainly oriented at export, only 30% of its output was delivered for Russia. The shortage in the polyethylene terephthalate market opens good prerequisites for launching new projects in this sphere.

By the fourth quarter of 2013 “POLYEF” intends to launch new investment project on enlargement of the existing production of polyethylene terephthalate up to 210 thousand tons annually. Production of polyethylene terephthalate will be modernized in accordance with the technology of the company CHEMTEX on the base of technological solutions of CHEMTEX-UOP. Thereby the company from Bashkir town of Blagoveshensk will be able to strengthen its positions in Russian market of polyethylene terephthalate, which quality remains stably high – in 2011 the company “Coca-Cola” – one of the biggest consumers of granulated polyethylene terephthalate in the world – called “SIBUR” the best purveyor.