Revitalization and development of facilities for production of higher order petrochemical derivatives: Precondition for survival of Serbian petrochemical industry

Abstract

Development of petrochemical industry in Serbia has started in the early 70s of the last century. By disintegration of Yugoslavia the dimension of 'domestic' market for petrochemicals was first drastically reduced, what was followed by new 'strikes' in a row (UN sanctions, NATO bombing campaign and unprofessional implementation of the privatization process) so that the Serbian petrochemical industry found itself in great problems. Nowadays, a number of factories that had manufactured petrochemicals are in the bankruptcy with process plants out of function, and some plants for the production of petrochemical derivatives are sold abroad or even cut and finished as scrap. Factories that have survived are struggling with huge problems, and this applies particularly to those that produce the high-volume base petrochemicals. The paper analyzes the internal and external factors that led to the current critical situation in which there is Serbian petrochemistry, and proposed some measures that could contribute to the recovery of this very important industrial sector. Particular emphasis is placed on revitalization of existing manufacturing facilities and construction of new plants for the production of higher-order derivatives, which are products easier and more economical to sell. Investments to achieve these development goals, in contrast to widespread opinion, need not be high.

Razvoj petrohemijske industrije u Srbiji je započet 70-tih godina prošlog veka. Raspadom Jugoslavije je prvo drastično redukovana dimenzija 'domaćeg' tržišta petrohemijskih roba, a potom su ovom ključnom industrijskom sektoru sukcesivno zadavani novi 'udarci' (sankcije UN, NATO bombardovanje i neprofesionalno vođenje procesa privatizacije), tako da se srpska petrohemijska industrija krajem prve dekade XXI veka našla u ogromnim problemima. Niz fabrika koje su proizvodile petrohemijske proizvode je u stečaju sa procesnim postrojenja van funkcije, a neki pogoni za proizvodnju petrohemijskih derivata su demontirani i prodati u inostranstvu ili čak isečeni i završili kao staro gvožđe. Fabrike koje su opstale bore se sa ogromnim problemima, a to se posebno odnosi na one najveće sisteme koji proizvode bazne petrohemikalije. U radu su analizirani interni i eksterni faktori koje su doveli do sadašnje kritične situacije, kao i predložene neke od mera koje bi mogle doprineti oporavku srpske petrohemijske industrije. Poseban akcenat je stavljen na revitalizaciju zapuštenih i izgradnju novih postrojenja za proizvodnju derivata više faze dorade, čime bi se dobili proizvodi koje je i lakše i ekonomičnije plasirati na tržištu. Investiciona ulaganja za postizanje ovakvih razvojnih ciljeva, nasuprot rasprostranjenom mišljenju, ne moraju biti visoka.