Zvezda Priirtyshiya (Petropavlovsk) issue No.76 (18024), July 13, 2010.
Future Leader of Kazakhstani Chemical Industry…
Pavlodar Joint Stock Company “Caustic” is the breakthrough project in the market of Kazakhstan aimed at implementation of national development strategy. Enterprise included in the “30 Corporate Leaders of Kazakhstan” program had been established in the territory of the former Pavlodar chemical plant. Total amount of the project financing reached as much as 108 million US dollars.
History of “Caustic” JSC was anything but simple: established in 2002 as a subsidiary of chemical plant, which by that time had gone to rack and ruin, it turned out to be too weak for independent development. In 2004, “CATEK” JSC bought this subsidiary and later on – in 2007, it also bought chemical plant itself, or, to be more precise, its leftovers after bankruptcy procedure. For the first time in national history, enterprise in default was purchased for the price exceeding its debt liabilities that were immediately discharged. Later on, investor decided not to rest satisfied with outdated technologies and to establish modern enterprise meeting all international standards based on the outdated plant.
Establishment of chemical production facility in Pavlodar area is assignable to the presence of permanent raw material sources – saline lakes. Salt derived from such saline lakes will be the basic ingredient of the products to be produced by the chemical enterprise. Apart from that, Pavlodar area is well-known in Kazakhstan as a large industrial area with all the necessary professional and scientific resources available. Usage of such resources will allow for the maximum possible improvement of production profitability.
Products to be produced by “Caustic” JSC is in demand not only in Kazakhstan but also in other countries of the world. Designed production capacity of the company implies annual production output of 30 thousand tons of caustic soda (sodium hydroxide) 26 thousand tons of liquid chlorine, 45 thousand tons of hydrochloric acid and 6.6 thousand tons of sodium hypochlorite. It is planned that 80 to 90 percent of the company’s output will be used to satisfy demand of the national industrial companies and the reminder will be exported to other countries. Taking into account that at the current moment our country has to buy such products from abroad, which implies an expensive transportation costs and customs duties, establishment of such production in the country means a serious improvement in national economy.
Developers of the project took into account not only availability of the necessary raw materials but also availability of national consumers of the output products, since such products are in demand by metallurgical and thermal energy sector traditionally developed in Kazakhstan and also by public utility companies. It is anticipated that commissioning of “Caustic” JSC will result in substantial multiplicative effect since establishment of any large-scale company entails establishment of many smaller scale companies interacting with it. So, establishment of “Caustic” JSC will give an impetus to development of small- and medium-scale business.
Totally, “Caustic” JSC will employ 420 people. Its production process will be automated in accordance with requirements imposed on chemical production of similar type. Production cycle of the company is based on the environmentally safe membrane method precluding mercury usage. Therefore, in opinion of experts, putting “Caustic” JSC into operation will not have any negative effect on environment in the region unlike its predecessor – Pavlodar Chemical Plant that used mercury in its production process. In addition to that, equipment to be installed at the plant is of European quality (made by Uhdenora S.P.A., Italy) and in full conformity with the up-to-date requirements of environmental safety.
Still, of course, the main competitive advantage of the company is its personnel – highly qualified specialists capable of working in new highly competitive conditions. So it is the personnel that will make the core workforce of the company and that will have to restore and revive the glorious chemical industry of the region. Adjustment and startup procedures will take some time, of course. Still, in any event, it is planned to put “Caustic” JSC into operation in this year and by the end of it the first Pavlodar made products will hit the national market.