Methanol (methyl alcohol) - CH3OH is a pure, colorless, rapidly evaporating, flammable liquid with an odor similar to ethyl alcohol, which can be mixed with water in any proportion, indicated by the formula. Methanol is one of the most required products in many areas of the chemical industry. It prevents hydrates from producing and transporting gas from methanol (inhibitor), producing formaldehyde, formic and acetic acids, plastic materials, synthetic fibers, household dyes, adhesives, etc. In addition, methanol, which has high engine fuel properties, can be used as a high-octane additive to petrol and fuel for internal combustion engines.
The methanol plant, located in the Garadagh District of Baku, was commissioned in 2013 and was the first gas-chemical production facility in the country. This plant uses the low-pressure methanol production technology of the British company ICI.
The plant, managed by SOCAR Methanol LLC, a subsidiary of SOCAR, since November 2016, has been included in SOCAR’s structure since October 2018.
The annual production capacity of the methanol plant is 561,000 tonnes, with a total area of 36.5 hectares.
The plant’s production process includes the preparation of raw material-gas mixture, producing high-pressure water vapor, reforming crude with water vapor, synthesizing methanol based on reforming gas, and enrichment of crude methanol.
Currently, the methanol plant produces “A” grade technical methanol with a purity of 99.99%. Furthermore, the product has the international REACH certificate, which ensures its continuous and stable sales dynamics in the European markets.
The quality of methanol that meets international standards are regularly inspected by the plant’s AZS ISO/IES-17025:2020 standard Central Laboratory and an internationally recognized quality inspection company, “SGS”. The Methanol Plant is certified with the international ISO 9001:2015 Quality Managing System, ISO 14001:2015 Environment Managing System, ISO 45001:2018 Health and Labour Security Managing System, and ISO 50001:2018 Energy Managing System.
The produced methanol is traded by SOCAR’s Marketing and Economic Operations Department. Over 97% of the sale is directed to exports. In 2023, this figure was 97%.
The plant's location is important in efficiently transporting many products to foreign markets. The products are exported from Garadagh station of Azerbaijan Railways CJSC to Parto-Tskali station of the Georgian Railways and from there to the Kulevi terminal owned by SOCAR in Georgia. The plant’s 252 railway tanks carry out the transportation. In addition, there are two product reservoirs with a capacity of 48,000 tonnes in the plant’s area.
During domestic trade, the product is transported via railway from Garadagh station to Sangachal station or by trucks owned by customers. A large part of the domestically traded product is supplied to Azneft PU.
The issue of an environmentally friendly production process at the methanol plant and reducing harmful environmental effects has always been the center of attention. The industrial and domestic wastewater treatment plants are regularly inspected, and waste sorting is controlled.
The Plant's main priorities are the safety of business process management, asset integrity, environment protection, and operational safety.