SOCAR resumes isopropyl production amid growing alcohol demand1

By Azernews

By Ofeliya Afandiyeva

Ethylene-polyethylene Plant of the SOCAR’s Azerikimya PU restored the production of isopropyl.

According to the information provided by SOCAR, Azerikimya Production Union (PU) under SOCAR (State Oil Company of the Azerbaijan Republic) made this decision in accordance with the recommendation of the head of state.

As SOCAR reported, the launch of the production was planned after the completion of the ongoing reconstruction of the EP-300.

“The decision of Azerikimya PU to resume production of absolute isopropyl alcohol, which takes its place in the chain of processing of target products into final products, is due to the sharp increase in demand for isopropyl alcohol in domestic and foreign markets,” State Oil Company reported.

The company stated that after continuous repair and restoration works at the plant, technical fields were relaunched on April 5, the production of absolute isopropyl alcohol was put into operation on April 11 and the production of the final product was started immediately. “This process will lead to a reduction in dependence on import and the increase of export to the world markets.”

“The absolute isopropyl alcohol is produced in two stages. The first stage includes the production of technical isopropyl alcohol, the second – conversion of technical alcohol to absolute isopropyl alcohol by being purified. The Ethylene-Polyethylene Plant’s (within Azerikimya PU) daily production capacity of absolute isopropyl alcohol is nearly 60 tons,” the statement said.

It should be noted that isopropyl alcohol is used in a number of other fields besides medicine (automotive industry, chemical industry, pharmacology, energy, etc.).

In the field of disinfection, absolute isopropyl alcohol completely replaces ethyl alcohol, and "universal cleaners" are also used in this field. At the same time, it is absorbed to the 70 percent-medical napkins to be used for protection from the microbes.

In line with the president's decree on "Improvements in the Petrochemical Industry's Management System", the Azerikimya State-Owned Company was transferred to SOCAR in 2010. In the same year, the Azerikimya Production Union has been established within SOCAR.

The Syndicate has an ethylene-polyethylene plant (EP-300, Polymer-120, isopropyl alcohol production unit, production of steam and electric energy) and a repair and construction division.