Rustam Minnikhanov said that the investment in the project exceed 19 billion rubles. TANECO plans to produce some 1.1 million tonnes of automobile gasolines annually. The refinery went into operation in 2011. In 2018, it launched the production of quality fuels of the following types: AI-92, AI-95, AI-98 and AI-100 high-performance and low-impact fuel.
The leader of Tatarstan also updated Vladimir Putin on the republic’s socioeconomic development.
The first head of Tatarstan, Mintimer Shaimiyev, later joined the meeting. Vladimir Putin thanked him for his contribution to the development of Tatarstan and the implementation of strategic projects, in particular, the establishment of the Bulgarian Islamic Academy. The President said that during a recent meeting with President of Kyrgyzstan Sooronbay Jeenbekov they discussed the possibility of sending clerics from Kyrgyzstan to study at the academy. Vladimir Putin asked the current and the first heads of Tatarstan to analyse this possibility and create conditions for implementing it.
* * *
Head of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov: Mr President,
We have completed the plant that will produce 1.1 million tonnes of automobile gasolines. The project cost over 19 billion rubles. It is a modern facility that will produce the AI-93 and AI-95 fuels without any additives.
I would like to ask you to give the go-ahead to our colleagues at the TANEKO plant, who have received the necessary documents, to launch production.
President of Russia Vladimir Putin: We have launched two facilities before; this is the next one.
It is a major positive event in the republic’s economy that will benefit the country as a whole. A great deal of funds has been invested in it.
We are delighted at the speed of the company’s development. I congratulate all of you on this, and I am happy to take part in launching a new plant.
Rustam Minnikhanov: Thank you, Mr President.
I give the floor to TATNEFT General Director.
Vladimir Putin: Good afternoon, colleagues.
TATNEFT General Director Nail Maganov: Good afternoon, Mr President, Mr Minnikhanov.
Mr President, a year ago you launched the new naphtha hydro treatment and isomerisation units at TANECO. Since then we have built several other modern oil refining units.
One result of this is the launch of a new facility to manufacture Euro-5 fuels, from AI-92 to AI-100. We believe there will be more. The plant can produce 1.1 million tonnes of fuel. We agree with our colleagues that it is a preliminary figure and that we can increase production to 1.2 or 1.3 million tonnes.
As Mr Minnikhanov said, over 19 billion rubles has been invested in this project. We plan to deliver over 3,000 tonnes of motor gasoline a day. A whole trainload of modern-type fuel will leave the plant every day.
This is our victory. Overall, the construction of the high-tech refinery, TANECO, was made possible thanks to your personal support and the system-wide decisions that have been taken at the government level to encourage the development of the national refining sector.
Overall, we have invested some 363 billion rubles in this project – even more now. By this time, we have refined over 60 million tonnes of crude oil, reaching a record-high depth of refining for Russia, 99 percent. We do not produce any heavy petrochemicals. We only turn out light ones.
In primary production, we have achieved a capacity of 9.3 million tonnes per year. We produce 20 types of high-quality oil products, including Euro-5 diesel fuel which is the best in Russia based on its cetane rating. We also produce aviation fuel, base oils, petrol and we are certain that they are the best in Russia and Europe.
This project produced a large-scale socioeconomic effect by creating new jobs. TANECO currently employs over 3,500 people and during peak periods up to 10,000 construction workers from more than 20 Russian regions provided their services here.
The facilities are expanding. Some 5,500 workers are involved in the construction work.
In 2018, TATNEFT transferred more than 509 billion rubles to the budgets of all levels. The monthly construction and assembly works come to 3 billion rubles. As per initial concept, the project’s priority is to support the Russian industry and science.
Relying on years of experience and engineering competence, we can confidently declare that we are able to deliver turn-key projects of a similar kind anywhere in the world, if we are instructed to do so.
Mr President, TANECO has ambitious goals to achieve. As part of the TATNEFT 2030 strategy, in 2019 we are finishing the construction of new primary refinery facilities that will allow us to almost double the processing capacity and exceed 15 million tonnes per year.
Moreover, the company’s board of directors issued a resolution regarding the construction of petrochemical facilities that will be the first to produce certain types of engineering plastic in Russia as well as other petrochemical products.
Finally, I would like to assure you, Mr President, that TATNEFT will do its utmost and use all its potential to fulfil the strategic tasks of this industry and our country.
Please, order the launch of the production and shipping of petrol at TANECO.
Vladimir Putin: You know, we provide systemic support to TATNEFT at the federal level. This targeted support is due to the specifics of your resource base.
I am very pleased to note that this targeted support proved very effective, including and perhaps primarily thanks to your work. Congratulations on these new results for TATNEFT and, of course, this new project.
Please launch the facility.
Nail Maganov: Ok, go ahead.
It is done.
Vladimir Putin: Congratulations.
Nail Maganov: Mr President, thank you very much and I would like to wish the leadership of our country all the very best.
Vladimir Putin: Thank you very much. We will do everything that was planned together. Thank you for the results you have achieved.
* * *
Rustam Minnikhanov: Mr President, I would like to report briefly on the 2018 results. Two trillion and 818 million rubles’ worth of production goods were shipped elsewhere. The gross regional product (GRP) highlighting preliminary economic development results totalled two trillion and 440 billion rubles.
Vladimir Putin: How did it increase on the previous year?
Rustam Minnikhanov: The industry grew by two percent, with the GRP growing by an estimated 1.5 percent so far. But I believe that the situation is currently being specified. Preliminary fixed capital investment volumes topped 660 billion rubles. I hope that the final statistics will coincide. Foreign trade volumes increased and reached $19 billion. Retail trade volumes grew by over six percent. Average wages totalled 35,154 rubles. Unemployment rates decreased to 0.5 percent.
Vladimir Putin: 0.5 percent?
Rustam Minnikhanov: 0.5 percent; there are no problems here.
Vladimir Putin: I have noticed that the share of your non-commodity exports has increased considerably.
Rustam Minnikhanov: Yes, as a result of processing and refining. You can see that we had refined seven million tonnes of crude oil, and now we have reached the 17-million tonne mark. We will start refining additional six million tonnes, and this will account for about 23 million tonnes annually.
Vladimir Putin: And the processing industry’s share has increased by six percent.
Rustam Minnikhanov: Yes, this is also good. This includes our KAMAZ truck plant, as well as the helicopter and fixed-wing aircraft plants.
Vladimir Putin: When will the Mil Mi-38 helicopter take to the skies?
Rustam Minnikhanov: The Mi-38 helicopter is currently available, and it has already been certified. This modern helicopter is being delivered to the Defence Ministry, and it will also be delivered to various economic sectors. Sales of the Ansat helicopter are very good. First of all, it is used by the entire Russian police force. Our republic operates it, and people think highly of the helicopter. The People’s Republic of China is extremely interested in this helicopter, and we will promote and market it.
Vladimir Putin: Very good to hear that.
Rustam Minnikhanov: I would like to present a brief report, Mr President. Our economy makes it possible to address system-wide tasks. We had 38 projects last year.
First of all, I would like to say that we are working closely on the transport infrastructure. Last year we invested 25 billion rubles of our own money and with federal support under the Safe City programme in the road network: this includes repairs, rural roads and the use of gravel and sand mixture. We use this material where the burden is light to make the best quality-price ratio.
This year we will be implementing 40 projects. We are launching a huge three-year-long project to repair children’s summer camps. The estimated cost is 7–7.5 billion, with 94 facilities. We have developed the standards for camps: sports, culture and catering complying with all the standards. I think we will complete this project in three years because what we have today is partly renovated facilities and some old Soviet children’s camp. We will tackle this project. Other projects include schools, hospitals, outpatient clinics and local councils. We try to work systematically on the water and electricity supply systems. In addition, we actively use the referendum system: per ruble raised by people to address some task we add 4 rubles. This is also a good project.
I would also like to report on a large event that Russia will host…
Vladimir Putin: The world competition?
Rustam Minnikhanov: The WorldSkills competition. You launched it. We won over Paris and the Belgian city [Charleroi] in a tough race.
Vladimir Putin: Yes, Tatarstan knows how to win.
Rustam Minnikhanov: Not just Tatarstan. We were supported by Rosatom and the Government. This event will take place on August 22–27. The opening ceremony will be held on August 22. Mr President, let me be straight, we will not begin it without you.
Vladimir Putin: Thank you very much.
Rustam Minnikhanov: The opening ceremony will be held at the football stadium. We have agreed that Igor Krutoi’s team will prepare the programme for the opening and closing ceremonies. This will be very good.
We have 56 skills with 1,500 participants from 67 countries so far. We expect 250,000 visitors. We would like very much to adopt a declaration on working skills, and we have already agreed to do this with [Deputy Prime Minister] Tatyana Golikova and the Organising Committee with the participation of Rosatom. Nobody has done this before. We would also like to ask you to give instructions to hold such an event and adopt this declaration before the competition begins, because all countries need to promote and train specialists.
Vladimir Putin: I think many people will support this.
Rustam Minnikhanov: Everyone will, but we would like our President Vladimir Putin to initiate it.
Vladimir Putin: Very well.
Rustam Minnikhanov: I would like to report that the 140,000 square metre facility has been completed, and it is ready. Tomorrow, the Agriculture Ministry Board will hold a meeting there, and the Federal Road Agency Board has already held a meeting there. It will also have a cinema and a concert hall for 3,000 people. <…> This unique structure allows us to host major events.
Vladimir Putin: The media should cover this.
Rustam Minnikhanov: I have shown this to you, and television channels will certainly show everything. We would like young people from all Russian regions to come here for the WorldSkills Competition, to see these standards and competitions, and they should see how prestigious this is.
Today, we have 31 resource centres [modern training centres, including colleges and technical schools]. Some resource centres offer one vacancy per six applicants. Almost 50 percent of our school students study to be workers after graduating from the ninth grade. Most importantly, these resource centres cooperate with our commodity producers, and they provide equipment; all processes are coordinated with companies.
Here is another interesting issue. We have restored and built a very good judo centre. We believe this facility is in high demand. We have turned this former wrestling centre into a specialised facility.
Vladimir Putin: Is the centre called Batyr?
Rustam Minnikhanov: Yes, Batyr.
And here is another highly interesting facility. The former Shamov Hospital, a cultural landmark, is being converted into a hotel with the assistance of a Turkish firm. This is a good project. We have the opportunity to invite the President of Turkey here.He is already expecting an invitation from you.
Vladimir Putin: I will meet with him the day after tomorrow, and I will tell him.
Rustam Minnikhanov: We were on the verge of losing this facility. Investment volumes totalled 50 million. The second stage is underway. This is a good top-category hotel. I believe we will be able to provide accommodation if you invite Mr Erdogan for an event. You meet often.
Vladimir Putin: I am confident that Kazan will host events of the WorldSkills Competition in the best manner possible.
Rustam Minnikhanov: We will do our best. Tatyana Golikova, Rosatom and major companies are actively involved. We have reached agreement on everything.
Vladimir Putin: Good. I wish you success.
<…>