Sibur extends maintenance cycle at Nizhnekamsk rubber, butadiene units

Nizhnekamsk, Tatarstan – Sibur has completed a major maintenance programme at its Nizhnekamskneftekhim complex, extending repair intervals and upgrading key butyl rubber and butadiene production units.

In a statement 15 Dec 2025, the group said the work allows selected rubber-related facilities to move to an extended interval between repairs, with shutdowns now scheduled once every two years instead of annually.

At the butyl rubber plant, maintenance work was carried out to support the transition to a two-year cycle.

This included the replacement of critical heat exchangers and what the company described as “large-scale diagnostics”, aimed at improving equipment reliability and reducing energy consumption.

The next scheduled shutdown at the unit is now planned for 2027.

Sibur said the upgrade is expected to support higher output while reducing the environmental impact associated with frequent shutdowns and restarts.

A key element of the programme involved repairs to a “foreign-made turbine” at the butane dehydrogenation unit supplying the butyl rubber plant.

The work was completed without licensor support, relying instead on in-house expertise and a Russian contractor.

According to the company, this marked the first such overhaul carried out independently, with the next turbine overhaul scheduled in five years.

Maintenance work was also completed at the butadiene monomer plant, where major repairs were carried out on compressor equipment.

Sibur noted that for the first time at the site, tube bundles were removed from heat exchangers using a hydraulic extractor, a method that applies fluid pressure to remove bundles without damaging equipment.

The approach, it said, improves safety and reduces mechanical stress during dismantling.

The rubber and butadiene upgrades formed part of a broader repair campaign at the Nizhnekamsk site, which also included work on ethylene facilities.

Sibur said the overall scope of repairs this year was around 50% larger than in 2024, reflecting the shift of several units to longer maintenance cycles.
All shutdowns during 2025 were planned and executed using on Sibur’s Gorizont digital maintenance platform, which it said integrates diagnostics, repair execution and performance analysis.

The company said the system helped improve coordination and reduce downtime during the repair programme.