TOAZ COMPLETES FIRST STAGE OF MAJOR HEAT INSULATION REPLACEMENT

ToAZ replaced more than 12,000 m³ of insulation in the course of the first phase of the full-scale coating renovation at the company’s process facilities. The project is implemented under the Program of production facilities upgrade through 2020.

Overall replacement of insulation coating of pipelines and processing equipment began in 2014. Around 10,000 m3 of insulation has been replaced at three AM-76 ammonia units – the company’s largest production facilities. Major works were conducted both at the pipelines and equipment operating at high temperatures and on the cold ammonia lines and hardware operating at sub-zero temperatures.

Works are performed both by contractors and in-house specialists with the use of high-tech foam glass- and basalt fibre-based materials, including that produced by ToAZ.

Viktor Kazachkov, deputy CEO and Chief Operating Officer of OJSC Togliattiazot, commented: “The main objective of the insulation replacement project is to significantly reduce energy consumption while maintaining process parameters set on the basis of operating temperature of a facility. The project will improve reliability and efficiency of equipment in complex operating modes”.

Within the first phase, before end of 2015, the insulation of pipes used for heating up monitoring and metering equipment will be replaced. The second phase that involves renovation of insulation of the factory interconnecting utilities (pipe racks) and urea production facilities will be commenced in 2016. For equipment requiring regular maintenance, ToAZ experts are working on a possibility to use removable insulation.

Previously, as part of the overhaul, OJSC Togliattiazot replaced thermal insulation of Russia's largest isothermal liquid ammonia storage tank that reaches about 50 meters in height and covers an area of 6,000 square meters. The overhaul of the second storage tank, including replacement of insulation, is scheduled for 2016.