Address by Director General

Dear colleagues!

In 2020, Shchekinoazot, one of the leaders in the country's chemical industry, has turned 65!

This is a significant and exciting date for Shchekinoazot employees, all our good friends and partners. This date combines work in difficult conditions, overcoming, the joy of victories, the launch of new production facilities, dedication to the cause, and the joy of creation...

Times have changed, people have changed, processes have changed. The only thing that has remained unchanged is the loyalty to the dear plant and to the cause that was chosen once and for all by those who linked their lives with Shchekinoazot.

We confidently look to the future. And we have every reason for that. There's a pattern in the history of Shchekinoazot: no matter the challenges the company experienced, it eventually reached an entirely new, breakthrough stage of development.

From the distant 1950s to this day, Shchekinoazot has been creating its map of victories. Its "glory stations" have specific names: The Shchekino phenomenon, the Eternal Flame — the first in the Soviet Union, a cultural and sports complex (the practice of building such complexes was adopted by other regions), the chemist village of Pervomaisky — the first single-industry town in the country... Others followed us.  But we were the first.

The plant became one of the first chemical enterprises in the local industry. It was the plant that was tasked with developing the Soviet chemical industry by the First Secretary of the CPSU Central Committee N.  S. Khrushchev.

The chemical plant's team was the first to accept responsibility for testing a new economic method of management called the "Shchekino phenomenon". The experiment aroused great interest throughout the Soviet Union and far beyond.

The Shchekino chemical plant became the first and only of its kind experimental site among companies in the local chemical industry, where scientific institutes tested new technologies and techniques.

The country's first Eternal Flame was lit here on Shchekino land, on the mass grave of the defenders of the Motherland in the Great Patriotic War. It was the idea of Shchekino chemists.

We were among the first companies to begin the revival of the country's chemical industry after the crisis of the 90s. The urea-formaldehyde concentrate production facility was built from scratch. It was the only new facility in Russia at that time...

All of the above is already known and the company’s team is proud of it.

Throughout its development, Azot has taken the difficult path of pioneers.

Today, the company has not only achieved the best indicators in reducing the consumption coefficient of benzene for the production of caprolactam, the quality of certain types of products, for example, sulfuric acid,  among local companies, but is ahead of almost everyone in Russia and in Europe in terms of development, construction of new production facilities.

We are consistently implementing the Development Strategy of Shchekinoazot.  Over the last 15 years, we implemented 16 major investment projects. Investments have exceeded a billion dollars.

At the same time, we built four cutting-edge production facilities, which were launched in 2018:  the M450/A-135 methanol-ammonia production complex equipped with new sewage treatment plants, as well as sulfuric acid, perfume-quality dimethyl ether production units (a joint venture with PCC SE, Germany). All these successfully operating facilities are of tremendous importance for Shchekinoazot.  They determine the development of the company for years to come!

We will further strengthen the company's position with the launch of Methanol-500, nitric acid and ammonium nitrate, urea and ammonia production facilities.  We place a premium on these projects! This is the future of our company, its tomorrow!  The Methanol-500 unit will allow the company to reach methanol output of 1,500,000 tons per year and make the company a leading manufacturer of this product in Europe. We will have the most competitive technology in terms of energy and resource consumption.

All modern projects of Shchekinoazot are aimed at increasing the export potential of the region and are fully consistent with the tasks set by the authorities in Russia and the Tula region.

Shchekinoazot is increasing its non-resource exports. By 2024, the company's exports will reach $760 million, which is 2.5 times higher than in 2018. The company is aimed at developing technological chains and producing products with a higher added value. 

As part of the company's strategic development, we plan to increase natural gas processing to 3 bln m³ by 2024 (i.e., 3.5 times 2015 figures). Production and sales volume will grow fourfold in 2024 compared to 2015. Labor productivity will increase threefold by 2024.

Today I know for sure: our team can handle any task, the most complex, non-standard, large-scale ones!

The primary objective set by the President is economic growth and prosperity of the general public. 

Big chemistry is one of the driving forces for the development of the economy in the Tula Region. The success of a big economy begins, among other things, with the success of companies. Not some abstract companies but specific plants. 

And stable and efficient enterprises, as we all understand, mean stable communities and prosperous families, that are confident in the future and have high living standards. Today, over 3,000 people work at Shchekinoazot. And we are very well aware of the fact that today it is not enough to be just a business leader. We are thinking ahead because we are leaders. And leadership implies big responsibility. That is why we care about waste minimization, environmental safety, teaching employees new technologies, implementing innovations, supporting young talents, building kindergartens, and planting trees. We're building the future we want to live in.

For many years, Shchekinoazot has been the guarantor of social stability and is one of the largest taxpayers and philanthropists in the region.

I'm sincerely respectful and grateful to veterans and employees of the plant, to all who contributed to the development of Shchekinoazot, multiplied its fame with their work and talent, contributed and helped us along this path, to all our partners, like-minded people and allies!

I am proud to be part of the Shchekinoazot team, to preside over it and lead it to new horizons and frontiers!

We will be glad to see you among the regular partners of our company!

President of Shchekinoazot                     Boris A. Sokol