A modern glass factory is being built in Grodno. What will happen to the old in the city center?

At the beginning of summer, the construction of a new glass factory began in Grodno. What it will be and what tasks it is called upon to settle, says Respublika.

Timely decision

In October 2020, an order of the Head of State "On the implementation of an investment project" was signed, which provides for the design and construction of a completely new glass plant for the production of glass containers at site No. 4 of the Grodnoinvest FEZ in Auls in just two years.

“The launch of modern production is scheduled for October 2022,” Denis Yurchenko, General Director of OJSC Grodno Glass Factory, calls the actual date. - Due to tight deadlines, we are allowed to combine design, start of work and purchase of equipment. The work is being carried out according to the schedule agreed with the Ministry of Architecture and Construction, the general contractor and design organizations.

The Grodno glaziers face a serious task: it is necessary to saturate the domestic market with high-quality products that meet modern requirements.

“Advance payments have been made for the supply of imported equipment, which has no analogues in the country,” the head continues. - It is already delivered to Grodno in parts, so that at the time of installation there were no delays. The future plant is a modern production using innovative energy-efficient and resource-saving technologies. The heart of the production will be a furnace with a capacity of 220 tons of glass per day. It will supply molten glass to three lines: two 8-section and one 10-section. The operating mode is three-drop, which is also a know-how for the glass industry in Belarus.

Simultaneously with the provision of the domestic market, the products will be exported. The company will employ 198 people.

“We plan to produce more than 200 million pieces of finished products per year,” says Denis Aleksandrovich. - Depending on the demand, the new plant will be able to produce glass of absolutely any color. - The transition from one color to another can be made within two to three days. There is one private plant in the country (Belstekloprom in Gomel) produces brown glass for a beer bottle, our Grodno enterprise together with a branch in Elizovo (Mogilev region) produces colorless, green and olive glass. It is important to understand that both private (there are two of them) and state-owned factories together cannot meet the needs of the domestic market, let alone miss export opportunities.

The project cost is $ 56 million. To reduce the impact of production on the environment, the glass furnace will be equipped with an electrostatic precipitator and an automated control system for the operation of cleaning mechanisms, for the quantitative and qualitative composition of emissions into the atmosphere.

The old factory will not be abandoned

The Grodno Glass Factory was founded in 1922, which means that next year it will celebrate its 100th anniversary. It is the largest operating Belarusian manufacturer of glass containers. The enterprise is located near the historical part of the city and is gradually moving away from old technologies. Not only the main production is automated and mechanized, but also labor-intensive auxiliary processes. Currently, there are three furnaces in operation, which together are capable of producing 140 tons of glass.

“The construction of a new glass factory does not mean that the old one will be closed,” notes Denis Aleksandrovich. - Modernization is ongoing here and is aimed at improving quality, reducing costs, as well as switching to new types of products. Literally two months ago, the production of rolled glass was “revived”. For this, the mothballed line was repaired.

Along with the construction activities, there is a selection and retraining of personnel for work in the new production. The average salary at the plant is currently 1250 rubles. According to the business plan, earnings at the new enterprise will start at $ 610 in ruble terms.

It's all about the price

Glass has endless life. Processing without loss of quality saves not only money, but also natural resources, taking care of the balance of the environment. Denis Yurchenko spoke about the projects already implemented and shared his immediate plans:

- So far, our production consists of about 50 percent of cullet. For every ten percent of cullet used, three percent of natural gas is saved and CO2 emissions are reduced by seven percent. In 2017, the plant was awarded the “Brand of the Year” title in the “Environmental Protection” nomination. In principle, we can use an unlimited amount of cullet, thereby reducing the cost of production. Today the plant successfully buys and processes recyclable materials, while getting a good effect from all these actions. Unfortunately, without separate imported components, the glass production process is impossible, and it is difficult for us to regulate the price formation process abroad. With the continuous nature of production, it is important that raw materials are always at hand.

Since last year, the introduction of a deposit-pledge system for collecting containers has been actively discussed. This means that in the future, glass factories in Belarus will be provided with recyclable materials as much as possible. It is estimated that over 80 percent of the bottles used will be recycled through this system.

Another important point is the delivery of glass containers by the population. Without a well-tuned return mechanism, it will be impossible to start the entire system. They also rely on separate waste collection.

“Together with the Belarusian Glass Company, which also includes our plant, we came up with a proposal to adjust prices upward for maximum interest in the delivery and collection of cullet,” continues the director. - The result was not long in coming. Already in August, we received from our procurers twice as much raw material. For example, "Grodno Zagottorg" took part in an experiment to collect cullet, increasing the purchase price by 20 kopecks. If earlier procurers supplied us with 60 tons, then in the last month of the summer they already delivered 120 tons.

In general, the team of the enterprise is set for development. And this is supported by the increased competence of the employees. There is an understanding of what they want to achieve here, what technologies to use, what needs to be corrected and where.

“The canning season is about to end, so all efforts were directed at providing the processors with agricultural products in the domestic market,” notes Denis Yurchenko. - Nevertheless, the export from both sites of the Grodno glass plant is 35-40 percent. We are not in a position to compete with the factories of the Russian Federation, taking into account energy prices, therefore we actively use our advantageous geographical position and supply products to Ukraine, Poland and the Baltic countries.

Source: http://s13.ru/