State Oil Co. of Azerbaijan Republic (SOCAR) subsidiary Azerikimya Production Union (APU) has completed its previously announced modernization and reconstruction of APU’s ethylene and polyethylene (PE) production plant in Sumgait, north of Baku (OGJ Online, Mar. 10, 2016).
Despite challenges presented by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, Technip Energies in February completed contractual performance testing at the plant showing that all technological modifications introduced as part at the project’s execution are functioning properly, the service provider said in April.
Now handed back over to APU and fully operational, the plant is producing on-demand ethylene and propylene meeting all requisite capacity and quality specifications, according to Technip Energies.
SOCAR let a contract to the service provider in November 2016 for delivery of engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) services for the revamp project, the scope of which included modernization of the EP-300 steam cracker, including construction of cracker furnaces licensed by Technip Energies, as well as installation of a refinery dry gas treatment unit, ethylene and propylene storage, and related utilities and off sites (OGJ Online, Nov. 8, 2016).
Technip Energies now confirms it also completed commissioning and startup activities for the project.
Neither SOCAR nor Technip Energies disclosed details regarding current capacity rates of APU’s modernized ethylene and PE plant.
