Contract scope covers license, basic engineering package and other services for VCC-based deep conversion complex.

KBR announced yesterday that it has been awarded a contract by TAIF Group to provide licensing and engineering services for the Veba Combi Cracker (VCC) to be implemented at the Nizhnekamsk refinery in the Republic of Tatarstan, Russia.

Under the terms of the contract, KBR will provide the licence and basic engineering package (LBEP), and other services for TAIF’s VCC-based Deep Conversion Complex. The complex will process 2.7Mta of refinery vacuum residues and 1.6Mta of distillates into high-value petrochemical feedstocks and Euro 5 diesel. This award marks the third VCC licence and KBR’s largest VCC project award since the acquisition of the rights to the technology in January 2010.

“KBR’s VCC technology is uniquely suited to process Russian crude-derived residues and is an ideal solution for monetising Russia’s large residue resource base,” says John Derbyshire, president of KBR Technology. “I look forward to our new partnership with TAIF as we embark on this large project.”

Albert Shigaboutdinov, general director of TAIF Group, says: “The VCC technology was selected after careful evaluation of the process and other available processing options. The high residue conversion and the finished product quality from the unit will significantly improve the economics of the TAIF-NK refinery.”