Irkutsk Polymer Plant completes installation of large-capacity equipment
At the Irkutsk Polymer Plant construction site in Ust-Kut, one of the most complicated installation operations took place: specialists lifted and installed a 500-ton Purge Bin 60 meters up off the ground, securing it in a special metal frame.
“It was a very difficult and very interesting period. The installation schedule for each unit was made by the day, if not by the hour. This was especially true of the Purge Bin — in my opinion, the most difficult and responsible operation at the site. The lift itself was preceded by enormous work on the preparation of the steel framework, work on pouring the monolithic concrete base, and the organization of timely deliveries,” noted the director of the Irkutsk Polymer Plant, Mrs. Elena Vaulina.
Preparations for the installation of the Purge Bin lasted more than 2 months. The specialists assembled a total of 500 tons of steel structures. The base of the frame is fixed on a reinforced concrete foundation 17 meters high. To install the Purge Bin specialists used two cranes with individual lifting capacities of 1,600 and 750 tons.
“The main technically challenging part of the work is complete. This job is one of the key ones this year,” said Deputy Director of Irkutsk Polymer Plant, Mr. Alexander Dyadkin.
In August, the heaviest piece of equipment — the polymerization reactor — was installed on the construction site. Its weight is about 530 tons and is over 40 meters tall. The reactor was also mounted vertically on the foundation using two cranes. Installation was completed within 8 hours.
Another large unit is the deethanizer. Its length exceeds 80 m and its weight is more than 350 tons. Work on the installation of large-size heavy equipment at the Irkutsk Polymer Plant began in June 2021 and proceeded in accordance with the project schedule.
The construction of the polymer plant is performed by Irkutsk Oil Company in Ust-Kut as part of the development of the gas-chemical cluster which will comprise of gas production, treatment, transportation and processing facilities. The production capacity of the plant is 650 thousand tonnes of polyethylene. Toyo Engineering, a Japanese engineering company, is involved in the construction of the plant and is responsible for the design and supply of equipment/materials. Gemont is the general contractor for the construction of the polyethylene and ethylene units. Engineers and workers from all over Russia, as well as from Japan, Turkey, France, Holland, and the United States work on the construction site. Thanks to the launch of the facility, 1,600 new jobs will be created in the Ust-Kut district.
