Russia's Sibur Expands Polymer Production to 2.7 Million Tons Annually, Develops New Medical-Grade Polypropylene

Russian polymer producer Sibur has begun installing polypropylene production units at the Amur Gas Chemical Complex (Amur GCC). This large-scale complex is located in Russia's Far East, and its strategic location enables convenient access to Asian markets, especially China.

The Amur Natural Gas Chemical Complex is one of the largest investment projects in the global petrochemical industry, with a planned annual production capacity of 2.7 million tons of polymers. The project is currently 82% complete and is expected to be commissioned next year.

In July, SIBUR completed the installation of the first piece of equipment for polypropylene production at the complex, a 20-ton tower used to purify exhaust gases containing solid polypropylene particles. This key component was transported to the construction site via the Lena River.

Polyethylene production will start in 2026.

All heavy and oversized equipment for the Amur Gas Chemical Complex is scheduled to be delivered before the end of this summer's shipping season. The complex is set to begin polyethylene production in 2026, followed by polypropylene production in 2027. The products will be supplied to the Russian domestic market as well as exported to China and other Asian countries.

The Amur gas chemical complex is positioned in the first tier of the global cost curve and can maintain competitiveness regardless of changes in the market environment. Thanks to the stable supply of Russian ethane and liquefied petroleum gas, the plant is less affected by fluctuations in hydrocarbon raw material prices compared to its competitors.

The complex is equipped with a polypropylene production line with an annual capacity of 400,000 tons, as well as four polyethylene production lines, three of which use gas phase technology and one uses slurry technology, with a total annual capacity of 2.3 million tons.

Meanwhile, Sibur has developed a new grade of polypropylene specifically designed for hygiene and medical products. The company expects the sales of this innovative polymer to exceed 1,000 tons by the end of 2025.

This new product is the result of collaboration between the Sibur PolyLab research center, the Nizhnekamskneftekhim plant, and the R&D team of a leading Russian hygiene products manufacturer, which supplies nonwoven materials to multinational companies.

New polypropylene grade

The new polypropylene grade, PP MG182 K, can effectively replace traditional hygiene product solutions, which usually require the blending of multiple polymer grades. Its technical performance makes it suitable not only for the Russian domestic market but also as a raw material for nonwoven fabric production to meet international market demands.

Over the past two decades, the application of polypropylene-based nonwoven fabrics (spunbond fabrics) in the hygiene and medical fields has grown significantly. As consumers value the softness of materials that come into direct contact with the skin, manufacturers have traditionally relied on special additives to enhance the softness of polypropylene spunbond fabrics.

SIBUR has successfully developed a proprietary polypropylene copolymer that achieves the required softness without the need for foreign additives, which are no longer available in the Russian market. The research and development team is further improving this material, aiming to eliminate phthalates to enhance it further, as such additives are facing stricter regulations in several countries. This improvement is intended to expand the application range and export potential of this copolymer grade.