Start-up and commissioning underway at second train of Amur Gas Processing Plant
RELEASE
Release
The Gazprom Management Committee took note of the information about the progress of the Amur Gas Processing Plant (GPP) construction project. Particular attention was paid to the launch of the first production train, which took place on June 9, and to the ongoing start-up and commissioning operations at the second train, where the auxiliary and core equipment is now fully assembled.
It was highlighted that the GPP forms the backbone of the state-of-the-art gas processing and gas chemical center that is currently being set up in Russia’s Far East.
The construction of the Amur GPP is going on schedule. The project is 76.5 per cent complete.
On the third and fourth trains, the equipment for gas separation is fully installed, pipes and cables are being laid, insulation materials are being applied, and metal structures are being assembled and provided with fire-retardant coating. On the fifth train, the foundation works are completed, and preparations are underway for the installation of the ethane and methane separation columns, as well as gas compressor units. On the sixth train, the pouring of foundations and the assembly of metal structures are in progress.
The latest campaign for the delivery of heavy equipment to the GPP by river and sea vessels is now running. During the navigation season of 2021, it is planned to bring 51 pieces of heavy cargo with a total weight of 5,500 tons to the construction site.
In addition, the logistics center for the servicing of thermally-insulated helium containers (the helium hub) near the city of Vladivostok will soon be put in operation. The center is needed to deliver liquid helium from the Amur GPP to the global market.
Containers with liquid helium will be transported between the GPP, the hub, and the ports of the Primorye Territory via freight trucks powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG). A small-scale LNG plant was built at the hub with the purpose of refueling vehicles.
Background
The Amur GPP is being built near the town of Svobodny in the Amur Region. The plant will have a design capacity of 42 billion cubic meters of gas per year.
On June 9, 2021, the commissioning ceremony for the first production train of the Amur GPP, one of the largest plants of its kind in the world, took place with the participation of Vladimir Putin, President of the Russian Federation. The implementation of such an ambitious project in the area of gas processing has no parallel in the history of Russia’s gas sector.
The construction of the first production train was finished strictly on schedule. The commissioning of the next five trains is synchronized with increases in the volumes of gas transmitted via Power of Siberia. In 2025, the GPP will reach its full design capacity.
The products of the Amur GPP include sales gas (methane) and the components extracted from this gas, which are valued in the gas chemical and other industries. Operating at full capacity, the GPP will use cutting-edge equipment and state-of-the-art cryogenic technologies to produce 2.4 million tons of ethane, 1.5 million tons of liquefied petroleum gases (LPG), and 200,000 tons of pentane-hexane fraction. The primary consumer of the GPP’s ethane and LPG will be the Amur Gas Chemical Complex (a joint project of SIBUR and Sinopec).
One of the main products of the Amur GPP is helium, a particularly sought-after element for high-tech industries. With an annual output of 60 million cubic meters, the GPP is poised to become the global leader in helium production.
Gazprom Pererabotka Blagoveshchensk (part of the Gazprom Group) is the investor, customer, and operator for the Amur GPP. Construction management is carried out by NIPIGAZ (part of the SIBUR Group).