Russia approves project to reconstruct hydrocracking unit at Novatek-Ust-Luga

MOSCOW. June 15 (Interfax) - Russia's Main State Expert Review Board (Glavgosexpertiza) has approved the project to reconstruct the Novatek-Ust-Luga hydrocracking unit, Glavgosexpertiza said.

Reconstruction is aimed at demetallizing and deasphaltizing the feedstock entering the unit, a component of marine fuel, which will be separated into vacuum diesel fraction (VDF), vacuum gas oil (VGO), and tar.

The VDF and VGO mixture will then be fed to the hydrocracking unit.

"This will ensure stable operation of the unit throughout the entire inter-regeneration cycle, maintaining stable catalyst performance without rapid loss of activity, achieving high conversion rates, and producing products of the required quality," the company said.

The demetallizing and deasphaltizing unit's nominal capacity for the product, a VDF and VGO mixture, is 800,000 tonnes per year, while the nominal capacity for feedstock, a component of marine fuel, is 956,000 tonnes per year.