Technical director – head engineer of the company Ibraim Umarov said Maxam-Chirchiq (former Eletrokhimprom) was created on the base of one of the oldest chemical plants of Uzbekistan. For over 70 years, the enterprise is largest producer of mineral fertilizers and other chemical products in Uzbekistan.

He said that the enterprise started to produce nitric fertilizers, using cumbrous and laborious process of gasification of coal and cokes and it emitted hundreds tonnes of soot and other polluting substances into atmosphere.

Umarov said that later the combine began to use natural gas as technologic raw materials for production of ammonia, which allowed significantly decrease damage to environment.

According to him, currently enterprise produces over 40 types of products, including carbamide, ammonium nitrate, ammonium sulphate, water technical ammonia, concentrated nitric acid and non-concentrated nitric acid, liquid carbon dioxide, etc.

Representatives of Maxam-Chirchiq said that these products are highly demanded in many industries, such as chemistry, electronic, metallurgy, textile, food and agriculture sectors.

Ibraim Umarov said that further development of the capacities is achieved due to launch of new capacities and reconstruction of existing shops. He said that the company is implementing all projects after it receives state ecological approval.

“In line with nature protection legislation, the enterprise developed draft normative document on maximum allowable emissions, maximum allowable discharge and maximum allowable waste and limit on placement of production and consumption wastes.

Umarov said that annually the enterprise emits 2,100-2,300 tonnes of pollution at the maximum allowable emission volume of 3,914 tonnes. In 2012, the company’s stationary sources and capacities on production of caprolactam emitted 1,898.732 tonnes of pollution, which is 2,015.548 tonnes less than set norms, he said.

He added that decrease of emission was achieved due to growth of efficiency of work of dust and gas cleaning facilities and optimal technological regime.

Ibraim Umarov stated that Maxam-Chirchiq has sanitary laboratory, which conducts control over execution of norms on impact to environment. The laboratory examines waste water and emissions at the source of issue and around the enterprise.

Maxam-Chirchiq uses local channel and artesian wells to satisfy its demands for water. Limit on water collection a year, including to capacities of caprolactam, was set at 166.43 million cubic meters, while actual collections makes up 129-132 million cubic meters. Limit of water collection from artisan wells set at 1.555 million cubic meters, while actual usage volume is 1.2-1.3 million cubic meters, Umarov said.

He underlined that the enterprise is introducing water saving technologies to decrease water consumption. He said that decrease of water for production of 1 tonne of ammonia will allow to cut water consumption by 5 million cubic meters a year and discharge of waste water to channels.

Umarov said that industrial waste water is processed at waste water cleaning facility and nidenitrification. Afterwards, processed water, which meet all set norms, transferred to buffer ponds and discharged to Chirchiq river.

Annually, enterprise produces 1,800 tonnes of production and consumption face. Main part of the waste sent to city waste yard Maydantal. Waste from caprolactam production is buried at firm waste yard in Parkent district.

Ibraim Umarov said that used luminescent lamps, oils and metal scrap are handed over for further processing to specialized organizations.

Maxam-Chirchiq official stated that the enterprise is implementing Clean Development Mechanism project to decrease emission of nitrous oxide to ensure rational use of natural resources and improve protection of environment.

Maxam-Chirchiq developed a programme for 2009-2012 to implement the CDM project with decreasing impact to global warming at the level equal to 4,310.24 tonnes of carbon dioxide a year.

The company purchased necessary equipment to monitor technological process at facilities on production of nitric acid. Special catalysts were used to eliminate nitrous oxide. Spare parts and other materials were purchased. Special meters for calculation expanses, pressure, temperature and content of nitrous oxide were installed at production capacities.

Technical director – head engineer of Maxam-Chirchiq said that within the project the company installed devices to meter expanses, pressure, temperature and content of nitrous oxide at the weak nitrous oxide shop AK-72M. Besides, the system on gathering of data was installed at central management point and data transferred via Internet.

He said that the company has been able to cut emission of nitrous oxide by 1.419 million tonnes of CO2-equivallent since the launch of the project.

This is one of six CDM projects, implemented by Uzkimyosanoat in cooperation with Mitsubishi Corporation (Japan). Implementation of these projects allows to cut emission by 1.1 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent a year.

Similar projects are also implemented at Navoiazot and Ferghanaazot. In 2017, Uzkimyosanoat and Mitsubishi Corporation signed an agreement on supply of equipment in 2007. АВВ (Japan), DURAG (Germany) and Johnson Martty (England) were also attracted to joint work.

Within the programme on complex of measures on improving ecologic situation in Chirchiq and neighboring territories, Maxam-Chirchiq is planning to implement a project on modernization and technical re-equipment of carbamide production. The project will allow to increase annual production of carbamide up to 270,000 tonnes a year.

To reduce ammonia emissions within the project, the company renovated the existing absorber with bringing cleaning efficiency to 91.6%. In this case, the maximum concentration of ammonia off-site of the company will decrease maximum allowable concentration from 0.45 to 0.33 (quota - 0.33).

The company installed distillation columns of the first stage instead of the existing distillation column, which will reduce water consumption for industrial needs from 150,000 cubic meters per year to 119,880 cubic meters.

Maxam-Chirchiq also implements project on modernization and re-equipment of production of nitric acid production AK-72 and AK-72M. The project will allow to decrease number of unplanned production suspension and emission of pollutants by 10 tonnes a year.

The chemical company also conducts large work on accomplishment and greening territories of enterprise and Chirchiq city. Annually, the company plants over 1,500 trees and 20,000 flowers.

In 2012, the enterprise introduced international quality standard ISO 14001 “System on management of environment”. In December, the company passed certification audit and receive international certificate.

It should be noted that it is necessary that all employees of Maxam-Chirchiq should take care after nature, , comply with all environmental regulations, strict maintenance of the normal production procedure in all the shops and capacities to improve the environmental situation.

Employees of Maxam-Chirchiq will do their best to improve favourable conditions to health of people, preserve ecologic balance, rational use of resources in interest of effective and sustainable social-economic development of Uzbekistan.

State Committee of Uzbekistan on nature protection, Uzkimyosanoat state joint stock company, Ecologic publishing house Chinor at support of Maxam-Chirchiq organized the media-tour to the chemical enterprise.

Representatives of national newspapers and television, internet editions, specialists of State Committee of Uzbekistan on nature protection and Uzkimyosanoat participated at the media tour.

The participants of media tour familiarized with the activities of the plant in modernization and reconstruction of capacities and met workers.

They visited shop on production of ammonia, which was launched in 1983 and reconstructed in 2009. The project helped to increase production of ammonia by 420,000 tonnes a year. It also helped to cut water consumption up to 770,000 cubic meters a year and discharge of used water to Chirchiq river.

They also visited industrial-sanitary laboratory of Maxam-Chirchiq. The laboratory works text water, emission of pollution at their sources and within the territory. This allows to ensure set control over implementation of environment regulations.