Gazprom Neft Moscow Refinery begins production of granulated sulphur

With a total production capacity of 2.5 tonnes per hour, the implementation of new technologies allows the Moscow Refinery to abandon the production of block sulphur and transfer to the production of commercial sulphur in granules.

The production process at the granulated sulphur facility is almost entirely automated. Each granule has a diameter of up to five millimetres. The finished product is packed in airtight bags (so-called “big bags”). A new production management system, encompassing production, warehousing and despatch, has resulted in considerable environmental benefits, lower product losses, and a higher quality of the final product delivered to customers.

The thoroughgoing reconstruction and refurbishment of the sulphur production facility is among several priority ecological projects at the Moscow Refinery, with plans for a new granulated sulphur facility developed as part of the second phase of the full reconstruction and modernisation of the plant. The implementation of all reconstruction works undertaken during this phase have reduced emissions 70-fold. The Moscow Refinery had previously completed reconstruction of the refinery’s sulphur recovery unit, BPS-2, in 2013, following which the volume of refined hydrogen sulphide produced at the plant increased by 19 percent.

A subsidiary of JSC Gazprom Neft, the Moscow Refinery has a total annual production capacity of 12.15 million tonnes per year, producing automotive fuels (gasoline), diesel, marine and aviation fuels, benzines, bitumens and gases for various applications. The facility holds a leading position in the production of high-quality benzines and diesel fuels, meeting approximately 40 percent of local demand for oil products in the Moscow region.

The Moscow Refinery has been the centre of a major modernisation programme, total investment in which will, by 2020, reach more than RUB130 billion. This programme has been directed at improving the quality of the products made at the plant, at improving the depth of refining, and at improving the facility’s efficiency and environmental impact.