May 20, 2020 15.05.2020 Magazine «Health, safety and environment»

TAIF-NK allocates more than a billion rubles to improve the environment in the region

Environmental protection and safety is the essential condition for the successful operation and development of business for TAIF-NK JSC. The company management counts the issues regarding the environmental friendliness as a company’s priority of the highest order. The company objectively evaluates and minimizes environmental risks by investing heavily in environmental improvement of the region and reducing the negative impact on the environment. For example, last year the company spent over 1.1 billion rubles to protect nature and implemented dozens of environmental activities.

Air protection is one of the global challenges for TAIF-NK. The company has implemented a vapor recovery system to reduce the hazardous emissions. This system traps hydrocarbons and returns them back to the production.

- In 2019, we completed all 23 scheduled environment protection activities. One of them concerns the upgrading of vapor recovery unit of Gasoline plant, workshop 07, which significantly improves the environmental friendliness of the fuel shipment process. Hydrocarbon vapors are converted into the liquid phase, which allows the valuable fraction of vapor to be reused. This results in a minimum release of hazardous pollutants into the atmosphere, said Ilmir Shafikov, Head of Environmental Protection Department, TAIF-NK JSC.

The vapor recovery unit not only reduces the negative impact on the environment but generally improves the production profitability. The work is carried out automatically and doesn’t require the continuous control and monitoring of the process by the personnel.

- The company allocated about 30 million rubles for the purchase of an industrial vacuum cleaner, - said Ilmir Shafikov, the Company’s chief ecologist. It works along the same principal as a home cleaner - it sucks in dust and pitch coke pellets from the outdoor units of workshop No. 12, Heavy Residue Conversion Complex.

In addition, P-3 furnace burners of the CDU-VDU-7 vacuum unit, Crude Oil Processing Plant were replaced. Under the project, 24 old burners were dismantled and 16 new John Zink Hamworthy burners of the PLNC-12RM type were installed. Gas burner devices are supplied with a built-in pilot burner, a fixed electric ignition system SOFLOR 204-10 with auto-ignition function and flame sensors. This has made it possible to reduce air pollutant emissions into the atmosphere. Besides, the Company successfully implements measures to protect water resources. For example, KT-825 column was revamped at the Gasoline Plant. The column's internals were replaced for better separation of water from methanol and performance improvement of the fusel water discharged into the sewer networks.

Laboratory with a broad spectrum of functions

TAIF-NK's Sanitary and Industrial Laboratory conducts operational and systematic monitoring of the environment and monitors treated, industrial, storm and service water. In 2015, the laboratory was included in the national part of the Unified register of certified testing laboratories of the Customs Union. Moreover, in 2018, it successfully passed the procedure for competence conformance and expansion the scope of accreditation for water and air control facilities.

- Our laboratory is one of the best in Tatarstan, with a wide range of accredited methods applied. Every year, specialists participate in interlaboratory comparisons tests, 'compete' in the exact determination of chemicals quantity in water specified by the provider, and always get satisfactory results. Lab assistants take advanced training courses in a timely manner and expand the scope of accreditation, - said Ilmir Shafikov, TAIF-NK’s Head of Environmental Protection Department.

Due to good financial support, the laboratory has the equipment from leading domestic and foreign manufacturers. Last year, TAIF-NK purchased a vibration calibrator, a device for drying special wares, analytical scales and a refrigerator with heat recovery and temperature indication. State of the art equipment gives the opportunity to monitor the environmental mode of operation in production workshops, the quality of atmosphere air in the areas around the industrial plants and at the border of the sanitary protection area, it accurately determines the source of air pollution and identifies the polluter.

The degree of water treatment at TAIF-NK is 99.99%

In regard to the water consumption, TAIF-NK has achieved good results. Due to the revamp of the in-plant wastewater treatment facility, the company no longer uses river water — biological treatment facilities operate on the principle of a closed-loop water cycle.

- We do not use water from the Kama River, we take our storm water runoffs and industrial wastewater, treat them and route them back to the process. Excess treated water is drained into a common chemical contaminated header owned by Nizhnekamskneftekhim PJSC. The treated water dilutes the polluted runoff, thus reducing the load on the Biological treatment plant of Nizhnekamskneftekhim PJSC, - said Ilmir Shafikov, TAIF-NK’s Head of Environmental Protection Department.

The in-plant wastewater treatment facility of TAIF-NK JSC was put into operation in 2017. The degree of water treatment is 99.99%. The total cost of the project is 3.7 billion rubles.

The in-plant wastewater treatment facility operates in an automated mode. The uniqueness of the applied technology consists in its multistage treatment system. Wastewater passes through the units of preliminary, physical, chemical, and biological treatment. After that, there is the stage of desalting, dewatering, as well as the pumping of mineralized water into two wells with a depth of 1,874 meters. It is symbolic that the landmark innovative project of industrial wastewater treatment of TAIF-NK based on advanced world technologies, was launched in the Year of Ecology. This approach is primarily a consequence of TAIF Group's management policy in the field of industrial safety, labor protection and environment, and reflects the social responsibility of TAIF-NK in addressing the environmental issues in the region as a whole. A comparative analysis of the quality of treated water before and after revamp showed that the content of petroleum products decreased by 95%, chlorides — by 90%, sulphates — by 84%, suspended substances — by 99%, chemical oxygen consumption — by 77%. The revamp of the TAIF-NK’s in-plant wastewater treatment facility affected not only the quality of wastewater treatment, but also the atmosphere. The emissions of pollutants decreased by 78,4%. If before the revamp of in-plant wastewater treatment facility, they were 936,5 tons a year, now they are 202,1 tons a year.

Company's employees make a significant contribution to the greening up of the area

In addition to various environmental programmes developed at the enterprise, TAIF-NK’s employees take part in the city, republican and all-Russia environmental campaigns. So, last year as part of the second stage of the Green Wave environmental campaign, employees of the refinery have planted about three hundred plantations along the road connecting the city and the industrial area. The territory near the Shingalchi village was greened up by planting additionally more than 400 birch trees. Altogether, in 2019 TAIF-NK planted about 1500 trees, and for the last 7 years - about 10 thousands of them.

- In 2020, it is planned to plant seedlings on an area of almost 40 hectares on the territory of the industrial area. It’s nice that we can make a contribution into the greening up of the city and district. The trees supply oxygen, the more of them, the purer and better the air is, - says Ilmir Shafikov, TAIF-NK’s Head of Environmental Protection Department.

Also, last autumn company’s employees joined the federal campaign “Green Russia” by cleaning the coastland of Karakul Lake. Thanks to their efforts and reverential attitude towards the nature, tens of trash bags have been taken to the landfill.

In the period of Community Cleanup days the enterprise employees clean up the Lesnaya street. They collect last year’s leaves, accumulated garbage, whitewash the curbs and trees.

«The company is following the path chosen throughout the civilized world»

The minimization of environmental impact in the Company is achieved through the use of new resource-saving technologies and modern production methods, compliance with the requirements of the legislation of the Russian Federation, international law and standards in the field of environmental safety and environmental protection. The environment management system that meets the requirements of the international standard ISO 14001 has been implemented in TAIF-NK since 2008. It guarantees the environmental safety of production facilities, prevents the risks of environmental pollution and helps to optimize the use of natural resources. It should be noted that in February of this year, the Company's integrated management system successfully passed recertification, confirming itscompliance with the requirements of international standards (ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO45001).

TAIF-NK has repeatedly confirmed its status as an environmentally responsible enterprise by winning all-Russian environmental competitions. The Company is a multiple winner of the contest “100 Best Organizations in Russia. Ecology and environmental management.” Rushan Shamgunov, General Director, was awarded 'Ecologist of the Year' badge of honour for his achievements in the field of environmental management.

- TAIF-NK is following the path chosen throughout the civilized world, when the development of industry with a competent approach and appropriate investments does not cause damage to the environment. The introduction of new technologies and the production of petroleum products of European quality standards allow TAIF-NK to successfully solve its strategic objective, improving the environmental situation, and significantly influence the quality of life in the regions of Russia, - said Rushan Shamgunov, TAIF-NK General Director.

The President of the Republic of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov has repeatedly noted the high environmental responsibility of enterprises of the petrochemical complex of the Republic, in particular TAIF Group, which includes TAIF-NK:

- It is necessary to maintain a balance between the development of production and the preservation of the environment. The Republic of Tatarstan is one of the most developed industrial regions of the Russian Federation, with a high volume of gross product. High quality of life and health of the population can be provided only if natural systems are preserved and the required quality of the environment is maintained.

Constant progress, development and implementation of modern technologies in production are realities for the Company, which in terms of the level of objectives, quality of results and efficiency of work occupies a worthy place among the large, stable and competitive enterprises of the Russian Federation.

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