On November 23, the long-awaited installation for the production of hydrogen from water by the electrolysis method arrived at the first private oil refinery Ukrainian Petroleum. It will allow entering the production of 99.9% chemical benzene, food n-hexane, Euro 5 gasoline, Euro 5 diesel, and m-100 fuel oil as soon as in the first quarter of 2022. The implementation of such a large-scale private project in the field of oil refining is unmatched in the whole history of independent Ukraine.
The hydrogen production and purification unit is an integral part of the combined hydrocarbon processing unit. It allows the implementation of such high-tech processes as gasoline hydrotreating, catalytic reforming, isomerization, and extraction. The result will be a high quality of products, and specifically, Ukrainian Euro-5 fuel.
The process of producing hydrogen consists in the decomposition of water into hydrogen and oxygen. This occurs when a direct current is passed through water using electrodes immersed in the electrolyte and separated by a membrane, which prevents gas leakage.
For the efficient operation of the unit, the necessary communications have already been built at the enterprise. The installation will meet all the needs of the enterprise in hydrogen. Since the raw material for hydrogen production is purified water, a reverse osmosis unit — water treatment — was built, which will make it possible to obtain high-quality hydrogen.
“Currently there are certain difficulties, both with the availability of Ukrainian fuel on the Ukrainian market and with the issues of standard fuel quality in general. We want the Ukrainian consumers to have a choice, and, secondly, this choice to be supported by higher quality and lower prices. In addition, Ukraine is now dependent on imported producers, its own industry is not developing. Therefore, we plan to work with Ukrainian companies, which will cover the need for the supply of raw materials for domestic production, will reduce the cost of the final product, and stop the outflow of foreign currency from the country," said Kostiantyn Valeulin, president of the AES Group investment industrial group.
Delivery of platinum catalyst and other imported equipment from licensed global companies is expected in December 2021. The team is completing the construction of a new plant and modernizing the existing plant in record time.
Ukrainian Petroleum prioritizes advanced technologies and focuses on innovation. Equipment supply contracts have been concluded with licensed global companies. The project for the modernization and launch of Ukrainian Petroleum will amount to about $200 million.
Ukrainian Petroleum is the first private petrochemical enterprise in the country, part of the investment industrial group of companies AES Group, successfully operating in the energy, transport, and logistics sectors of the economy. The group consists of enterprises whose purpose is to strengthen the energy potential of our state and the introduction of innovative technologies in the energy industry.
The mission of AES Group is to unite businesses whose product quality satisfies Ukrainian consumers and to make a significant contribution to the stable economic future of the Kharkiv region and all of Ukraine in general. AES Group develops the market for industrial energy enterprises in eastern Ukraine and operates in the petrochemical, alcohol, energy, research, and other areas.
