Add value: Putin instructed to attract advanced technologies to the chemical industry

The products of the Russian chemical industry are in demand and competitive both in the domestic market and abroad. This was stated by Vladimir Putin on February 2 at a relevant meeting. It is mainly purchased by the countries of Asia, the Middle East and the EAEU. The priority task now is to provide the industry with new high—tech solutions, the president stressed. And within the framework of the national project "New Materials and Chemistry", it is planned to launch the production of more than 130 chemical products within a few years. Experts recognize the problems of depreciation of production facilities, difficulties with personnel and the development of scientific institutions. How to accelerate the development of the industry and what even unfriendly states are still buying from Russia - in the Izvestia article.

The Russian chemical industry is in demand abroad

On February 2, Vladimir Putin convened a meeting on the development of the chemical industry. The Kremlin has repeatedly called this industry one of the most important for the country's economy. The fact is that its products are in demand virtually everywhere — from construction to energy, from agriculture to housing and communal services, from pharmaceuticals to electronics.

Today, domestic chemical industry enterprises produce thousands of types of products, including relatively simple products such as soda and high-tech polymers. By the way, they are competitive both in the domestic market and abroad, the president noted. Now the country has to provide the industry with high—tech solutions, and this is exactly what Vladimir Putin drew attention to.

Russian President Vladimir Putin holds a meeting on the development of the Russian chemical industry

Photo: RIA Novosti/Vyacheslav Prokofiev

— Our task is to ensure that the Russian chemical industry develops confidently, so that our powerful resource and raw material base creates successfully operating modern production facilities with qualified personnel and advanced technological, energy—saving solutions that meet the high requirements of environmental protection and environmental protection. We have enough resources, as you know, the raw material base is good," the president said.

Russia holds a leading position in the global market for certain types of chemical products, such as mineral fertilizers and plant protection products, Academician Stepan Kalmykov, Vice President of the Russian Academy of Sciences, recalled. But, in general, the basis of domestic exports is raw materials and products with a low degree of processing: methanol and benzene. The key markets for mineral fertilizers are India, Brazil, the USA, China and the EU, with unfriendly countries accounting for almost a quarter of sales, added Dmitry Kasatkin, Managing partner of Kasatkin Consulting.

Plant for the production of mineral fertilizers

Photo: RIA Novosti/Maxim Blinov

Plastics and petrochemicals are more often purchased from Russia by Turkey, China and the EAEU states. Turkey and China are also leaders in synthetic rubbers, rubber chemistry and organic chemistry.

"Interestingly, the industry has partially become a beneficiary of sanctions related to other industries — countries that imposed restrictions on the supply of Russian raw materials were forced to buy products from our chemical industry to close the deficit associated with a decrease in local production due to the unavailability of raw materials," Dmitry Kasatkin told Izvestia.

Today, against the background of external challenges and the reorientation of foreign trade flows, the chemical industry has become strategically important for technological sovereignty, import substitution, and economic diversification in Russia, experts believe.

However, according to the estimates of the Vice-President of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the Russian Federation still lags behind many countries in terms of the development of the chemical industry: our contribution to global GDP in this area is less than 1.5%.

Photo: IZVESTIA/Dmitry Korotaev

— In order to increase exports in monetary terms, it is necessary to increase the share of deep-processed products with high added value. Domestic demand is low. Therefore, the success of the industry is impossible without an aggressive export strategy. At the same time, it is difficult to enter foreign markets where no one is waiting for us. Our companies face a lot of protective measures from the governments of other countries," Stepan Kalmykov told Izvestia.

Problems of the chemical industry

To support the industry, the national project "New Materials and Chemistry" has already been launched in the country. It is designed until 2030. It is expected that by this date, projects for the production of more than 130 priority chemical products will be launched. Total investments in them over the period of the national project may amount to about 1 trillion rubles. At the same time, private enterprises are also planning large-scale investments, the president said.

There is all the necessary base for the implementation of the national project: from extraction and processing to the supply of products to the end user, said Alexander Spiridonov, Deputy chairman of the State Duma Committee on Industry and Trade.

In the future, this will affect the development of an important area of low-tonnage chemistry for specific products that are still manufactured in small volumes, but are critically important.

Photo: IZVESTIA/Dmitry Korotaev

After Vladimir Putin's opening remarks, the meeting went into private mode. The President indicated that during the discussion he intends to touch upon the development and development of new technologies and lines of chemical products. Among other things, the agenda includes the search for solutions to improve the efficiency of the domestic chemical industry and companies in the domestic and international markets, including the development of production infrastructure and export logistics.

Experts consider this topic timely, since the main problems of the domestic chemical industry include the moral and physical deterioration of production facilities.

— There is practically no specialized mechanical engineering for the chemical industry in the country. The domestic petrochemical industry is almost 50% dependent on imported catalysts. There are logistical constraints, including regulatory ones for railway transport, as well as a shortage of qualified personnel in the regions," Olga Orlova, head of the Industry department at the Institute of Oil and Gas Technologies, told Izvestia.

Despite the fact that the strength of the domestic chemical industry remains a strong scientific base, there is a problem with scaling up the development of domestic academic institutions. Despite the fact that they are able to develop laboratory technologies of almost any level, said the director of the Institute of Organic Chemistry. Zelinsky Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Academician Alexander Terentyev. According to him, there is a critical shortage of engineering centers in the country today.

Photo: IZVESTIA/Dmitry Korotaev

— Previously, this role was performed by industry research institutes — they were the link between science and production. They employed specialists with unique experience in introducing scientific developments into industry. Today, there are almost no such institutions left, and it is extremely difficult to create them from scratch: personnel and continuity of knowledge are required. An additional barrier is the acute shortage of design organizations for the construction of new chemical plants," the academician told Izvestia.

Obviously, the creation of engineering centers and capacity upgrades will reduce dependence on imports, which will ultimately make domestic products — from medicines to building materials — more accessible to consumers.