SIBUR has decided to start construction of catalyst factory for petrochemistry in the second quarter of this year. SIBUR's new investment project will allow the development and production of these special components to be combined at one site.

This production will be the first in Russia and the CIS countries to produce all types of polymerization catalysts required to obtain the most popular synthetic materials – polyethylene and polypropylene.

The total volume of catalysts produced will be more than 1,000 tons per year, which will ensure technological independence of the production of basic polymers in Russia, and will also create opportunities for the supply of catalysts to nearby regions. The volume of polyethylene and polypropylene production in Russia and the CIS countries in 2024 amounted to 7.9 million tons.

Taking into account the investment projects already implemented by SIBUR and other companies, this figure may more than double by 2030. By now, the development of design documentation for the construction of the first line – the production of chromium catalysts – has been fully completed.

The catalyst production will be located in close proximity to SIBUR's flagship research and development center, scheduled to be launched in 2026.

The first facilities to be built within the project will be those for the production of chromium catalysts. This type of catalyst is used at Kazanorgsintez, ZapSibNeftekhim, and in the future will be used at the Amur Gas Chemical Complex. Chromium catalysts are indispensable in the production of film and blown polyethylene grades, used, among other things, for the production of canisters, bottles, and fuel tanks. Completion of construction and launch of production is expected in 2027.

In the future, five more process lines will be built, which will ensure the production of two types of metallocene catalysts and two types of titanium catalysts. The sixth process line will launch the production of silica gel, used as a carrier for catalytic systems. The bulk of the process equipment for organizing the factory's work will be localized.