In August 2019, Transneft commissioned its new DRA production facility, Transneft Synthesis, LLC.

This high-tech DRA plant was created by efforts of the entire Transneft team who sought to increase the efficiency of industrial processes and to reduce energy consumption during the transportation of hydrocarbons.

The plant applies a proprietary single-stage technology of DRA production based on the polymerization of alpha-olefins in fluoroorganic compounds. The technology boasts:

• recovering finished polymer dispersions in a one-step process
• polymerization at temperatures ranging between -30 ÷ -10 ° C within 3-6 hours
• high rate of monomere conversion (60-95%);
• applying special high-active Ti-Mg catalysts developed for this process
• enhanced process safety (fluoroalkanes are non-flammable)
• automatization of the process.

The production line’s design capacity is up to 3,000 tonnes of DRA per annum, with a further potential for increase up to 10,000 tonnes per annum. The plant’s capacity is sufficient to fully cover the needs of Transneft, as well as to start production for third-party consumers.

This report also reflects our experience of cooperation with Russian research and development agencies. As regards the establishment of production of polyalphaolefins, the report also reflects the ability to manufacture a proprietary finely-dispersed Ti-Mg catalyst.

The report compares the efficiency of DRAs made by Transneft Synthesis and foreign peer manufacturers, as well as contains a number of case studies on using DRA in the reduction of energy consumption. The report reflects DRA properties.