Even if the start-up of its large-scale ZapSibNeftekhim (Tobolsk / Russia) hub will likely be delayed until 2020 (see Plasteurope.com of 28.04.2016), Sibur (Moscow / Russia; www.sibur.com) continues to make progress on the polyolefins hub. Construction works are proceeding apace, and the Russian company in April signed an agreement with logistics provider Karl Schmidt (Heilbronn / Germany; www.schmidt-heilbronn.de), covering the detailed engineering, procurement and site services.

Over the course of the next three years, Karl Schmidt will help Sibur set up a silo farm with 45 silos of 1,000 m³ each, eight packaging lines integrated into a 50,000 m² covered warehouse complex, as well as a container terminal to handle the site’s 2m t/y in PP and PE throughput. The agreement builds on the two companies’ existing collaboration, both in Tobolsk and at Sibur’s other sites.

Karl Schmidt purports to be one of the leading logistics providers for dry-bulk goods in Europe and Asia. The German group works with a number of global partners, and also played a crucial part in a reloading bulk goods site operated by Agility (Abu Dhabi / United Arab Emirates; www.agilitylogistics.com) in Shanghai / China (see Plasteurope.com of 21.07.2011). The company’s 1,800 employees are spread across 44 global locations, and it says it is represented at “all major European production sites for polyolefins.”