For the grand opening of one of the world's largest polypropylene facilities, Russia's president, Vladimir Putin, was in attendance at the 15 October commissioning ceremonies of the Siberian site. Tobolsk-Polymer (Tobolsk / Russia), has been described as the country's largest investment project in the Russian petrochemical industry and was built at a cost of about USD 2 bn (EUR 1.5 bn).

With the start-up of the 500,000 t/y PP plant, Russia now becomes a net exporter instead of importer of basic polypropylene grades. Russia currently imports an estimated 1m t of PP as finished products. When finally completed, the site will support up to 4,000 jobs. According to Sibur, more than 320 companies from 23 countries have been involved in the construction of the Tobolsk-Polymer site.

The massive complex, 100% owned by Russian petrochemical producer Sibur (Moscow; www.sibur.ru), also has a unit producing 510,000 t/y of propane dehydrogenation propylene (PDH) and is located in the immediate vicinity of Sibur's plant in Tobolsk-Neftekhim, which is to supply the feedstock – some 600,000 t/y of propane. Putin was joined by Vladimir Yakushev, the country's energy minister and the management boards representing the two companies involved in the realisation of the JV mega-facility.

The new facility is now the largest individual PP plant in Russia though Sibur is said to be considering another, larger polylolefin gas-based complex in Tobolsk with PE and PP production capabilities.