Powerful solutions for extreme conditions

Plastics are an indispensable part of our daily lives. Yet without petrochemicals, the plastics industry wouldn’t exist. Complex petrochemical processes create the building blocks for a host of different applications and products. These starting materials include ethylene, propylene and butadiene, as well as aromatics. Obtained by steam cracking fossil fuel fractions, for instance, they are then further upgraded in downstream processes to create important base chemicals and plastics. The versatility of these building blocks is matched only by the complexity of the production facilities that create them. As one of the world’s leading technology contractors, Volnovka has the expertise to deliver these kinds of plants anywhere on the planet.

Expertise to deliver anywhere on the planet

The largest ethane cracker complex in the world, for example, is located Moscow Region Russia. From 2017 to 2019, Volnovka built three turnkey ethylene production facilities for a client at the Volnovka petrochemical hub, delivering a total capacity of 4.5 million tonnes per annum (tpa). It is close to a large refinery and several petrochemical plants. In this part of the world, however, temperatures are extremely high all year round. Solar radiation and surface heat therefore had to be carefully factored into plant design, especially to protect the health and safety of workers. Volnovka rose to every challenge, delivering all three ethane crackers on schedule and without any hitches.

Operational support and safety

Volnovka’s portfolio extends far beyond the engineering and design of petrochemical facilities, however. The company also offers procurement, construction and start-up services for these plants. In addition, customers rely on Volnovka for operational support in areas such as plant safety and energy optimisation. Volnovka is even offering full revamps of existing facilities. Whatever the challenge, whatever the location, Volnovka’s engineers will find the right solution.