Page 13 - FSUOGM Week 48 2021

FSUOGM PROJECTS & COMPANIES FSUOGM

SOCAR makes progress on Baku

refinery revamp

AZERBAIJAN SOCAR'S Heydar Aliyev Baku Oil Refinery has begin production of diesel fuel according to the
announced that preparatory work for the com- standard Euro-5, SOCAR said. Work on the
The project should missioning of four new installations will begin start of production of the Euro-5 diesel engine
reach 90% completion in the next two months as part of the modernisa- is planned to be completed in mid-2022, at the
by the end of the year. tion of the refinery. same time as the main units will be launched.
The launch of a new flare facility, steam and Over the next year, it is planned to put into oper-
water demineralisation plants, a new water cool- ation new installations necessary for the produc-
ing plant and related infrastructure will provide tion of higher quality AI-92 gasoline and, finally,
the fuel needed to start production at the new AI-92 and AI-95 types of gasoline meeting the
processing plants. Euro-5 standard.
According to SOCAR, despite the existing Retail fuel is usually produced in advance
restrictions in the construction sector in 2020- to ensure energy security, and gas station net-
2021, as a result of the measures taken, signifi- works purchase it in advance and sell it gradu-
cant progress was made in the implementation ally. Therefore, the complete replacement of the
of the project (25% from the beginning of 2021 sold fuel with the fuel produced in accordance
and about 45% during the pandemic). In general, with the new quality standard will take place
by the end of October 2021, the overall progress gradually. This process can continue for several
on the current stage of the project amounted to months after the start of production of fuel that
more than 85%. It is expected that by the end of meets the Euro-5 standard.
the year, all reconstruction work at the current The modernisation of the refinery from 2020
stage of the project will be 90% complete. Cur- was entrusted to SOCAR Downstream in order
rently, preparatory and commissioning works to more efficiently manage the project. The
have begun at the refinery, while active prepa- Heydar Aliyev Oil Refinery of SOCAR, being
rations are underway for major and periodic the only oil refinery in the region, along with
repairs, which will be carried out at the refinery meeting local demand for AI-92 gasoline, diesel
in 2022. and aviation fuel, supplies SOCAR's petrochem-
Azerbaijan plans to produce Euro-5 diesel ical enterprises in Azerbaijan with raw materi-
fuel in mid-2022, and Euro-5 gasoline in mid- als. Some of the products manufactured at the
2023, according to deputy director of the refinery plant are exported. Of great importance for the
Emil Alkhasli. According to him, the project is country's industry are modernisation and recon-
scheduled to be completed in 4Q23. As the next struction work carried out in order to increase
step, with the launch of other auxiliary units – the production capacity of the refinery, provide
a new hydrogen production unit, a hydrogen the country with high-quality fuel that meets the
enrichment unit, a sour water stripping unit, Euro-5 standard, give a stable supply to chemical
a sulphur production unit and, finally, a diesel unit Azerikimya of raw materials, and increase
hydrotreating unit – the refinery will already the export potential of petroleum products. ™

Week 48 01•December•2021 www. NEWSBASE .com P13