Gazprom localizes 32 MW turbine "in metal," testing underway on pipeline

The Nevsky Plant has completed the localization of a 32 MW gas turbine unit at the production level, and the full completion of the localization process can be declared following the ongoing endurance tests currently being conducted on Gazprom's trunk pipelines, as per Interfax.

"In 2022, the company was set the task of completing the localization of the 32 MW turbine. This year we are completing full localization. We completed it 'in metal' in 2024, and this year we are conducting endurance tests of hot section components at the facilities of PJSC Gazprom ," the CEO of Gazprom Energoholding Industrial Assets, Dmitry Lisnyak, said during the 2025 St. Petersburg International Gas Forum (SPIGF 2025).

"We managed to localize all elements of the hot section and auxiliary equipment. And from 2026, the Nevsky Plant will be ready to produce gas turbine engines fully with domestic components - upon the successful completion of the endurance tests," he said.

The T32 gas turbine unit (GTU) is produced by the Nevsky Plant (part of the Gazprom Energoholding Industrial Assets Group) under a license from GE Oil & Gas (Nuovo Pignone S.p.A.). It is the most powerful 32 MW industrial GTU produced in Russia and so far the only one in this power range on the domestic market.

Recently, one of the concern's gas transportation subsidiaries, Gazprom Transgaz Ukhta LLC, said that the final stage of endurance testing of domestic components for a GTU, which is part of the GPA-32 Ladoga gas pumping unit, were completed at its Intinskaya compressor station. The endurance tests included checking the most critical and technologically complex components of the gas turbine unit, such as combustion chamber assemblies, high-pressure turbine rotor and stator blades, under real operating conditions on the gas pumping unit.

In his report given at the SPIGF 2025, Lisnyak also said that Gazprom's management and the Energy Ministry have set the task of assessing the possibility of adapting the T32 Ladoga GTU for power generation tasks for use as a generator drive. Together with specialists from the Moscow Power Engineering Institute, research has been conducted on the possibility of solving this task via a gearbox scheme and an intermediate option. Work is underway to modernize the turbine.

Also within the competence of Nevsky Plant are booster compressor stations for thermal power plants. One such station was manufactured and supplied by the plant to Adler, and work is underway on a similar unit for Mosenergo . This equipment is intended to replace the fleet of foreign-made booster machines.
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Merck KGaA said in a statement Oct. 15 that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire the chromatography business of the life sciences division of JSR Corp, as per Chemweek.

The transaction is expected to close by the end of the second quarter of 2026, the company said. Financial details were not disclosed.

The acquired business is based in Belgium and has a workforce of more than 50, Merck said. The business supplies chromatography solutions to pharmaceutical and biotech manufacturers worldwide, it added.

The acquisition will expand Merck’s downstream processing portfolio with advanced Protein A chromatography capabilities, supporting more efficient and scalable production of biopharmaceutical therapies, including monoclonal antibodies, the company said.

Protein A chromatography plays a critical role in the purification of monoclonal antibodies and therapeutic proteins, which are used for treating cancers, autoimmune diseases and infectious conditions.

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South Korean petrochemical producers are opting to bow out of the China-dominant game as they struggle to stay afloat despite government-mandated streamlining and output controls, as per Ajupress.

SKC and Kuwait's Petrochemical Industries Company (PIC) are reportedly seeking a buyer for their combined stake in joint venture SK picglobal, as market woes from Chinese oversupply and Middle Eastern competition have spilled over from basic petrochemicals to downstream products, threatening the viability of even high-value chemical makers.

SK picglobal, established in 2020 when SKC spun off its chemical operations, produces propylene oxide and other specialty chemicals used in automotive interiors, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals. SKC holds a 51 percent stake, while PIC owns the remaining 49 percent, which it acquired for about 536 billion won shortly after the spinoff.

The joint venture was once considered a model of advanced materials innovation, pioneering domestic commercial production of propylene oxide, a key ingredient in polyurethane. After reporting a record operating profit of 332 billion won in 2021, SK picglobal fell into the red as an influx of cheap Chinese products eroded margins. The company posted a loss of 33 billion won in the first half of this year.

The downturn mirrors the broader struggles across South Korea’s petrochemical industry, where companies expanded aggressively even as profit margins deteriorated. The country currently operates 10 naphtha crackers — four each in Yeosu and Daesan and two in Ulsan — with annual ethylene capacity of about 13 million tons, ranking fourth globally after China, the United States, and Saudi Arabia.

Ethylene, a colorless and flammable gas with a faint sweet odor, is a fundamental building block for plastics and other petrochemical products. SK picglobal's flagship product, propylene oxide, is also a co-product of ethylene production.

Domestic ethylene capacity is expected to rise further to nearly 14.7 million tons once S-Oil completes its Shaheen project in late 2026, adding pressure to an industry already squeezed by Chinese overproduction and new Middle Eastern entrants.

In response, the government has brokered a "voluntary agreement" among producers to reduce naphtha cracking output by 2.7 to 3.7 million tons, or up to 25 percent of total capacity, as part of an industry restructuring effort.

"Chinese competition, Middle Eastern entry, and ethylene overproduction are all battering Korean producers. Ethylene is constantly losing profitability," said a spokesperson for the Korea Chemical Industry Association.

Alongside capacity cuts, companies are pursuing vertical integration to survive. By merging with naphtha producers, chemical manufacturers aim to lower costs and phase out excess capacity through facility closures.

Lotte Chemical and HD Hyundai Oilbank are leading the effort at the Daesan complex in South Chungcheong Province, where they are in talks to consolidate operations. The two companies already collaborate through their joint oil venture, HD Hyundai Chemical.

In Ulsan, SK Geo Centric and Korea Petrochemical are exploring a potential partnership. The Ulsan complex has an annual ethylene capacity of 1.76 million tons, smaller than Yeosu's 6.27 million tons and Daesan's 4.78 million tons.

The Yeosu complex poses the biggest challenge, industry officials say, as it faces the largest required capacity cuts and involves multiple stakeholders, including Yeochun NCC, LG Chem, and Lotte Chemical. Negotiations have been slow and difficult.

"Now with the Middle East also rushing into the competition, we need advanced technology to gain the upper hand," said Koo Su-jin, professor of petrochemical process engineering at Korea Polytechnics. "Korean petrochemical firms and the government should invest more in cutting-edge refining and catalyst technology to reduce nitrogen oxide and sulfur oxide emissions, which can strengthen global competitiveness."

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Stahl BV (Waalwijk, the Netherlands), a leading producer of specialty coatings for flexible materials has announced the reopening of its advanced coatings facility at Ranipet, India, as per Chemweek.

Originally inaugurated in April 2000, the facility had been operational until its closure in 2019. With the recent divestment of its wet-end activities, Stahl is refocusing the site on leather finishing, performance coatings, and packaging coatings.

The upgraded Ranipet facility integrates coatings formulations production, research and development, and application laboratory testing capabilities, enabling Stahl to enhance its operational efficiency and innovation potential. A notable feature of the facility is its wastewater treatment system, which recycles all process water, achieving a zero liquid waste output, it added.

The move aligns with India's position as one of the world's largest and fastest-growing economies, making local production a vital advantage for Stahl and its customers.

The reopening of the Ranipet facility not only strengthens Stahl's footprint in India, but also aligns with its customer-centric ‘local for global’ business model. India represents a key growth market across all three of Stahl’s business segments, and the enhanced capabilities of the site will enable the company to serve regional and global customers with greater proximity, agility and impact, said the company.

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DCM Shriram Ltd. (Delhi) has commissioned a new epichlorohydrin (ECH) plant at its site in Jhagadia, Gujarat state, with an initial capacity of 37,000 metric tons per year, as per Chemweek.

The company said it plans to bring an additional 17,000 metric tons per year of capacity online shortly.

ECH plays a crucial role in DCM Shriram’s operations, acting as a vital link between its existing chlor-alkali business and the advanced materials vertical. As a downstream product of chlorine, ECH is essential for the production of liquid epoxy resins.

Unlike traditional plants that rely on propylene — a nonrenewable input — DCM Shriram's ECH plant utilizes glycerine, a byproduct of the biodiesel production process, as its primary raw material, said the company.

According to Chemical Economics Handbook (CEH) by S&P Global Commodity Insights, Epigral Ltd. (Mumbai), formerly known as Meghmani Finechem Ltd., is the other domestic ECH producer in India with a capacity of 50,000 metric tons per year, which began operations in 2022.

CEH said in recent years, another process has been commercialized that uses glycerine as feedstock instead of propylene. The glycerine supply increases significantly as a byproduct from biodiesel production. Thus, ECH made from glycerine can be marketed as a green material since it is derived from renewable sources. Other claimed advantages are lower invested capital and generation of fewer byproducts, added CEH.

DCM Shriram is recognized as India’s second-largest chlor-alkali producer, with its Jhagadia facility being the largest single-location chlor-alkali plant in the country.

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