OREANDA-NEWS. An inauguration ceremony marking the start of commercial operations at an acrylic acid and butyl acrylate production plant owned by Gazprom Neftekhim Salavat took place today in Salavat, Republic of Bashkortostan.

The ceremony was attended by Valery Golubev, Deputy Chairman of the Gazprom Management Committee, Rustem Mardanov, Prime Minister of the Republic of Bashkortostan, Vladimir Markov, Member of the Management Committee, Head of Department of Gazprom, and managers of the Company’s relevant subdivisions and subsidiaries.

With a design capacity of 80,000 tons of crude acrylic acid per year, the plant is the largest production facility of its kind in Russia. By converting the crude product into commercially marketable glacial acrylic acid, the Company paves the way for creating a facility to manufacture superabsorbents (materials that can absorb large quantities of liquid) in Russia.

Butyl acrylate produced at the plant of Gazprom Neftekhim Salavat (in the amount of 80,000 tons per year) will fully substitute for the imports of butyl acrylate and satisfy the potential demand for the substance in the Russian chemical sector.

Acrylic acid and butyl acrylate are used in the manufacturing of various household chemicals, including varnishes, paints, laundry detergents, and medical products.

The facility is environmentally friendly thanks to the use of cutting-edge technologies, as the system for the collection, purification and thermal treatment of industrial wastewater and heavy residue of acrylic acid and butyl acrylate prevents any and all harmful emissions from entering the atmosphere.

The project generated some 340 new jobs.