Site for prospective manufacturing JV of Sibur and Rhodia has passed environmental assessment

Dzerzhinsk, 17 September 2012. The site planned for the development of a surfactant manufacturing JV between Sibur and Rhodia located in Dzerzhinsk has successfully passed an environmental assessment.

In late 2011, Sibur completed the acquisition of the land plot within the Ethylene Oxide and Glycols facility of Sibur Neftekhim in Dzerzhinsk for the development of new production facilities, including surfactants manufacturing.

The environmental assessment of the site was carried out by Golder Associates, an international leader in the sphere of environmental consulting services.

In 2011, Golder Associates successfully completed Phase I environmental assessment of the site for the prospective construction of new production facilities. During the course of Phase II environmental site assessment carried out in 2012, the surface and subsurface environmental conditions of the site were documented and soil and groundwater investigations were carried out in order to identify possible contamination. As a result of the works conducted by Golder Associates, no impacts were identified which may affect the construction of new chemical production facilities or development of the existing facilities in the investigated area.

Valery Andosov, Director of Sibur’s Plastics and Organic Synthesis Division, commented on the audit results, “The audit has been a milestone in the project to build new surfactant manufacturing capacity jointly with our strategic partner Rhodia, and confirmed that the plot meets all the relevant Russian and international environmental standards.” Sergey Merzlyakov, Managing Director, P&OS Division, said, “Environmental responsibility is Sibur’s key priority and guiding principle in the choice of cutting-edge technologies, including those in partnership with leading global chemical players to develop the Dzerzhinsk chemical industrial hub.”

General information

SIBUR is the largest integrated petrochemical company in Russia, in the CIS, Central and Eastern Europe as measured by revenues. The company purchases associated petroleum gas and liquid hydrocarbon feedstock from major Russian oil and gas companies and processes them into energy products, including liquefied petroleum gases, natural gas, and naphtha, and further into various petrochemical products, including basic polymers, synthetic rubbers, plastics, products of organic synthesis, intermediates, and other chemicals. SIBUR sells to over 2,000 customers in the energy, automotive, construction, retail, and other industries in more than 60 countries. As at 31 December 2011, SIBUR owned and operated 22 production sites across Russia and employed approximately 30,453 people.

Rhodia is a member of the Solvay group. Rhodia Novecare, one of the major Global Business Units of Rhodia, with net sales of about €1.6 billion in 2011, provides high-performance products and solutions to a wide range of industries including cosmetics, detergents, agrochemicals, oil & gas, along with coating and industrial applications. Thanks to a worldwide industrial footprint and global R&D and tech-support network, Rhodia Novecare holds leading positions in surfactants, amines, phosphorus derivatives, natural & synthetic polymers and monomers technologies, and eco-friendly solvents-based formulations. Rhodia Novecare has developed particular expertise to answer and anticipate customer needs in protection, surface modification, rheology, active delivery, improvement of formulations and processes and sustainable solutions.

Golder Associates is a respected, employee-owned, global company providing consulting, design, and construction services in the areas of earth, environment, and the related areas of energy. From 180 offices worldwide, Golder‘s more than 8,000 employees work with clients to manage their environmental and engineering activities in a technically sound, economically viable, and socially responsible manner.