By Andrey Fiodorov
The new chemical factory at Belaruskali JSC is to manufacture potassium hydroxide, potassium hypochlorite, and hydrochloric acid for import-substitution. Belaruskali’s Deputy Chief Engineer, Alexander Lyugoshchenko, tells us, “The project is on schedule, as approved by the Prime Minister. In September, we’re supposed to begin start-up operations.”
Belaruskali will use products manufactured by the new chemical factory to produce, for instance, water-soluble fertilisers for greenhouses. “These aren’t yet available in Belarus, despite strong demand,” Mr. Lyugoshchenko emphasises. He notes that the nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium (NPK) fertiliser factory, which produced 10,000 tonnes of merchandise in January, is another example of successful co-operation with Belarusian scientists. The entire engineering and manufacturing process has been developed for Belaruskali by the General and Inorganic Chemistry Institute, of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus.
Mr. Lyugoshchenko tells us, “Enterprises cannot progress without improving their technological processes. In order to achieve results, we have to invest in science, so we are doing just that.”
From 2009-2013, Belaruskali signed Br100bn worth of contracts for R&D services, generating about Br300bn of revenue. The company has financed improvements from its own funds and from the innovation fund.
