INK-Class school students visited Irkutsk Polymer Plant

The tour was designed to tell the story about the main production sites of ethylene, polyethylene and butene. The students were shown the key process equipment of the ethylene cracker unit where feedstock for ethylene production will be processed, as well as the construction site for balance of plant facilities - the boiler house, warehouses, unloading pad, and water intake.

The students were also told about the cracking heaters - one of the main facilities of the plant, where ethane is processed at a temperature of over 800 degrees celsius.

“The capacity of a single heater is about 60 MW. That would be enough to illuminate an entire city. Meanwhile, we have just one furnace running on that capacity. There are a total of six of them - five in operation and one in standby," Peter Bezgubov, Head of Production and Dispatch Department, told the group.

The students saw the tallest piece of equipment at the ethylene complex: the ethylene column about 82 meters tall, as well as the polymerization reactor, the heaviest piece of equipment at the polyethylene plant, weighing almost 500 tons.

The high school students also learned about the delivery of heavyweight equipment for the polymer plant, the largest logistics operation in the modern history of the region, which took place in the summer of 2020. The equipment was delivered via the Northern Sea Route fr om South Korea.

In addition to the production block, students were told about the directions in the field of environmental protection and the reduction of environmental impact. Emphasis was placed on the safety of future production even at the design stage. Irkutsk Polymer Plant meets high global standards. Water, soil and atmospheric air will be continuously monitored during operation. The plant also has a closed water cycle. The water supply system will use water storage tanks - 4 reservoirs of 10 thousand cubic meters, which the students also have seen during the tour. They are designed to store water reserves for industrial water supply systems and firefighting needs.

Installation of minor process equipment is currently ongoing at the plant. In 2022, it is planned to finish construction of fire tanks and commissioning of two water heating boilers of the boiler plant. Currently there are about 3,000 people working at the site. The plant is scheduled to start up in 2024.

Mrs. Elena Vaulina, Director of Irkutsk Polymer Plant, met with the students as part of the tour. She talked about current occupations needed to operate the facility and opportunities for young professionals.

“Irkutsk Polymer Plant is an excellent opportunity for self-fulfillment and career growth. We are interested in young professionals - our future specialists. We will be glad if you get an education and come back to work in your hometown. In the meantime, you are welcome here as INK-Class students. We hope you will continue to visit the construction site and see the new stages of the project," Elena Vaulina addressed the students.

At the end of the meeting, the children were given a lesson on "The Magic of Chemistry”. Experts showed what the finished product of the future plant - polyethylene pellets - will look like.

INK has been implementing a school-to-company program since 2018. In Ust-Kut and Kirensk, INK-Classes were opened, wh ere students of 10th and 11th grades study in depth the subjects required for admission to specialized major programs. A joint project on targeted corporate training of students with subsequent employment is being implemented with Irkutsk National Research Technical University. An educational project called "INK Academy" for students in grades 7-11 was created jointly with ISU. The free training is conducted offline and online until May 31, 2022.

Irkutsk Oil Company (INK) is one of the largest independent producers of hydrocarbons in Russia. The company was established in 2000 and is engaged in prospecting, exploration and development of 52 license blocks in Irkutsk region, Krasnoyarsk region and the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia). INK's largest investment project is the gas chemical cluster, which INK is implementing in Ust-Kut. It includes gas production, treatment, transportation, and processing facilities, two helium plants, and Irkutsk Polymer Plant. The production capacity of the plant is 650 thousand tons of commercial products per year. Thanks to the launch of the facility, 1,600 new jobs will be created in Ust-Kut district.