OREANDA-NEWS. April 26, 2012. Mikhail Karisalov, SIBUR’s Deputy Chairman of the Management Board and Executive Director, and Director General of Tobolsk-Polymer today updated the plant’s Governing Board on the current status of the project. To date, 72% of the construction and installation works for this project have been completed, while the overall progress of the project is fully in line with schedule at 90.2%.

The detailed engineering plans are complete and all of the oversized equipment for manufacturing propane dehydrogenation and polypropylene are now on site. The equipment and materials that have been delivered will ensure construction and installation work remains on schedule. All construction contracts relating to major works have been signed and agreed with building contractors. The company expects the workforce employed by contractors to reach a maximum number of 4,700 in May.

With the necessary schedules and programmes in place and the contract with the general contractor signed, commissioning works at the plant’s facilities have begun. The commissioning work on the production of propane dehydrogenation and polypropylene is scheduled to begin in 2nd H 2012. A total of 190 people have been hired in the operating unit at Tobolsk-Polymer, and all positions that are critical to the launch of the commissioning work have already been filled. More than 70% of the staff are qualified experts from the local area.

As a result of the third independent environmental audit, Tobolsk-Polymer has received a positive assessment from the banks financing the project. The audit conducted by the experienced British environmental consultancy firm, ERM Eurasia, confirmed that the project is being conducted in accordance with Russian and international environmental standards. An independent environmental audit of the plant is being carried out twice a year during the construction phase of the plant and will continue on an annual basis after the facilities are commissioned. Tobolsk-Polymer plans to obtain an international certificate confirming its compliance with all the requirements for a project of this scale in late 2012.