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- Under the wing of an airplane: the authorities are working on changing the requirements for the production of jet fuel
Under the wing of an airplane: the authorities are working on changing the requirements for the production of jet fuel
In order to increase the production of jet fuel in Russia, it is proposed to adjust the technical requirements for its quality. In particular, we are talking about allowing the production of fuel with less stringent requirements for freezing temperatures, as well as the involvement of small and medium-sized refineries in its production. On behalf of Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak, the Ministry of Transport is working on a number of such initiatives together with the industry. Previously, individual air carriers have already drawn attention to problems with fuel supply. How the market evaluates the proposed measures and whether they will help increase the production of jet fuel in the country is described in the Izvestia article.
What initiatives are the authorities considering?
The Ministry of Transport is discussing with participants in the aviation industry measures that can help increase the production of fuel for jet engines. The Agency sent the initiatives for consideration to the Federal Air Transport Agency, the Association of Air Transport Operators (AEVT) and the State Scientific Research Institute of Civil Aviation (FSUE GosNII GA). The letter signed by Veronika Khodyreva, Director of the Department of State Policy in the Field of Civil Aviation at the Ministry of Transport, was reviewed by Izvestia. The proposals were prepared by Mikhail Yershov, General Director of the Center for Monitoring New Technologies, Professor at Gubkin University, member of the Board of the Association of Oil Refiners and Petrochemists.
According to him, Gubkin University specialists are constantly involved in the work of specialized groups under federal ministries involved in improving the situation on the fuel market. A representative of the Deputy Prime Minister's office told Izvestia that on July 9, federal authorities were instructed to work with interested organizations and the scientific community to work out the proposals submitted. AEVT confirmed receipt of the letter, but did not disclose details of its position on the initiatives presented.
The document sent by the Ministry of Transport contains a proposal to allow the production of jet fuel with a crystallization start temperature of up to -50 degrees. As follows from the document, the production of fuel grades TC-1 and Jet A-1 with this indicator is already provided for by GOST 10227-86 and is allowed for use in almost all climatic regions of Russia. The exceptions are regions I1 with particularly harsh climatic conditions (the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) and the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug), as well as moderately cold region II2, which includes Bashkiria, Mari El, Mordovia, Tatarstan, Udmurtia, Chuvashia, Belgorod, Bryansk, Vladimir and a number of other regions, as well as Moscow and St. Petersburg.
Nevertheless, now most refineries produce fuel with a higher quality margin in this indicator — up to -60 degrees. This is due to the versatility of such a solution for use in all climatic zones and the ability to supply fuel for military equipment. The letter states that the innovation is relevant for many Russian refineries and will increase the production of jet fuel by 170-250 thousand tons per month.
Maxim Shevyrenkov, head of the Center for Analysis of Commodity Markets, believes that reducing the crystallization temperature requirements to -50 degrees is not critical for aviation. However, a market source told Izvestia that when approaching this indicator, the formation of crystals can make it difficult to supply fuel to the engine. Therefore, the use of jet fuel with a crystallization start temperature of -50 degrees is acceptable, but only under certain conditions. In his opinion, with the approval of the Ministry of Defense, such an initiative can indeed be implemented to increase production volumes.
The freezing point of jet fuel is one of the key factors of flight safety. In Russia, the most common brands are TS—1 and RT, while Jet A-1 is considered an international industry standard and is used by most foreign carriers. As noted in the letter, world practice confirms the possibility of operating both civil and special aviation equipment powered by Jet A-1 fuel with a freezing temperature of up to -47 degrees.
The list of initiatives also includes a proposal to introduce a domestic anti-wear additive into the production of jet fuel, which will reduce dependence on imported supplies of this component. In addition, it is proposed to increase kerosene production by using heavy naphtha in production. As noted in the document, the implementation of this measure will potentially make it possible to increase kerosene production by 1.8 million tons per year.
Another source of additional fuel volume may be an increase in the supply of synthetic GTL components to Russian refineries for the production of semi-synthetic jet fuel. It has improved environmental characteristics and does not contain sulfur. Currently, such a fraction is used in the production of jet fuel at the Ferghana and Bukhara oil refineries, but its scope can be expanded, the letter notes.
According to Oleg Panteleev, Executive Director of the Aviport agency, the development of synthetic kerosene production may become an attractive destination for Russia due to significant natural gas reserves. However, the construction of appropriate production facilities will take a long time. The expert noted that GTL technology is widely used in the global market. One of the most famous examples is Shell's Pearl GTL plant in Qatar. This is one of the most expensive and high-tech projects in the industry: the company processes about 45 million cubic meters of natural gas per day and produces about 22 thousand cubic meters of petroleum products, he said.
Another initiative provides for the production of kerosene using hydrodemercaptanization technology, a process of deep purification of oil fractions from mercaptans (sulfur-containing compounds) by their interaction with hydrogen. As noted in the document, enterprises such as Ilsky, Novoshakhtinsky, Afipsky, Yaysky, Tyumen Oil Refineries and MIC-Oil have the potential to produce about 250 thousand tons of kerosene per month using this technology, but now they are not actually producing it. In addition, the process can be quickly implemented at the Komsomolsk Refinery, which will additionally provide fuel to the Far Eastern region.
It is also proposed to increase the production of jet kerosene by involving small and medium-sized refineries in its production, the letter says. However, according to Igor Yushkov, a leading analyst at the National Energy Security Fund, mini-refineries must have a sufficiently high technological level to produce high-quality jet fuel, and there are few such enterprises in Russia right now. Therefore, such measures are unlikely to provide a significant increase in supply. Maxim Shevyrenkov shares a similar point of view: according to him, most small and medium-sized refineries lack the necessary technological equipment.
Another proposal suggests redirecting jet fuel produced at Novatek-Ust-Luga to the domestic market. This plant in the Leningrad region is one of the largest producers of jet fuel in Russia, but historically it has been mainly focused on exports, Igor Yushkov noted. According to Maxim Shevyrenkov, theoretically, the company could additionally supply more than 300 thousand tons per year to the domestic market.
According to Izvestia's source in the aviation industry, there is currently no mandatory state or intersectoral mechanism in Russia that controls the impact of changes on fuel performance. Under these conditions, it is premature to radically change the raw materials and technological base of production without mandatory independent assessment. At the same time, the duration of scientific research and testing can be two years or more, he believes.
These initiatives may contribute to an increase in aviation fuel production to some extent, but it is not worth counting on a sharp increase in volumes that would saturate the domestic market, Igor Yushkov believes. Oleg Panteleev, on the contrary, believes that, taken together, the proposed measures can have a noticeable effect. However, according to him, their implementation will require considerable time, therefore, it is unlikely that it will be possible to provide the country with additional volumes of fuel promptly.
What is happening in the fuel market
The discussion of initiatives to increase jet fuel production is taking place against the background of general fuel problems in Russia. Supply problems arose, among other things, after the attacks of the Ukrainian Armed Forces on Russian refineries, explained Alexander Novak.
Since about the beginning of summer, limits on the sale of fuel in one hand have been introduced in a number of regions of the Russian Federation due to interruptions in gasoline and diesel at gas stations. The government has taken a number of measures to maintain the market, including a temporary ban on the export of any type of fuel, solutions to stabilize stock market supplies, and amendments to the Tax Code to stimulate imports of gasoline and diesel to Russia.
In addition, on August 5, the Cabinet of Ministers allowed the production and circulation of gasoline of ecological classes Euro-2, Euro-3 and Euro-4 until July 1, 2027. As noted in the Ministry of Energy, this will allow sending additional volumes of fuel to the domestic market and reduce the risks of supply disruptions.
In June, the head of the Ministry of Transport, Andrei Nikitin, stated that there was no shortage of jet fuel in the country. The Federal Air Transport Agency noted that Russian airports are provided with the necessary amount of fuel for the implementation of the planned transportation program, which is being carried out normally. At the same time, at the end of June, the Russian airline Azimut announced a critical situation on the Russian market and asked the Association of Air Transport Operators to send an appeal to the Ministry of Energy to take stabilization measures, Kommersant wrote.
Izvestia sent inquiries to the Ministry of Energy, the Ministry of Transport, the Federal Air Transport Agency, as well as the largest airlines in Russia, but did not receive an operational response.
From June 1 to November 30, Russia has a temporary ban on the export of jet fuel. As noted in the government's press service, this measure is aimed at ensuring a stable situation in the domestic fuel market.
According to Igor Yushkov, the very introduction of an export ban may indicate that the domestic market is experiencing some tension with the provision of jet fuel. However, there is no reason to talk about a critical situation in the aviation industry yet, the expert stressed.
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