Sibur to build catalyst plant in Kazan, tyres set to benefit from localised rubber chemistry

Russia’s Sibur will start construction in Q2 2025 on a new catalyst manufacturing plant in Kazan, aimed at supporting polyethylene, polypropylene and synthetic rubber production across the country.

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The site will sit close to Sibur’s flagship research centre, due to open in 2026, and near the Kazanorgsintez chemical plant.

What is being built

• Annual capacity of more than 1,000 tonnes of polymerisation catalysts.
• First production train will make chromium catalysts, targeted to start up in 2027.
• Five additional trains will follow, producing two metallocene catalyst types, two titanium catalyst types, and a sixth train for silica gel used as a carrier.

Chromium catalysts from the first train are already specified for Kazanorgsintez and Tobolsk’s ZapSibNeftekhim, and are planned for the Amur gas chemicals complex, also expected online in 2027. These catalysts are used to produce film and blow-moulded polyethylene grades for items such as canisters, bottles and fuel tanks.

Why this matters to the tyre sector

Neodymium catalysts are critical for making high quality synthetic rubbers used in tyres. They drive the polymerisation of butadiene and isoprene to create neodymium-based polybutadiene and polyisoprene. These materials deliver elasticity, wear resistance and fatigue performance that tyre makers want, especially for low rolling resistance compounds in electric vehicle fitments. Localising a broad catalyst toolkit increases supply security for rubber producers and, in turn, tyre manufacturers.

Domestic technology push

Sibur says this will be the first plant in Russia and the CIS to make the full set of catalysts required for polyethylene and polypropylene production. Company data indicate polyethylene and polypropylene output in Russia and the CIS reached 7.9 million tonnes in 2024. With ongoing projects, total capacity could more than double by 2030.

Catalysts underpin more than half of known polymer production, enabling a wide range of grades for transport, construction, agriculture, healthcare, food packaging and consumer goods. A significant share of catalysts is currently imported from allied countries. The new plant is intended to reduce that dependency.

R&D pipeline and timelines

• Design documents for the first train are complete, and the project was presented at the Future Technologies forum in Moscow last week.
• Sibur aims to localise polymer production by 2030 using technologies developed with Russian research institutions, including Moscow State University and the Russian Academy of Sciences, under state grant programmes.

In December 2024, Sibur opened a petrochemicals technology piloting centre at Tobolsk. The company says this can accelerate catalyst and new polymer grade development by up to ten times, with infrastructure that supports 12 polypropylene and polyethylene production technologies, covering about 90 percent of those used in Russia. In November 2024, Sibur also unveiled its Nobel catalyst for propylene synthesis, a key monomer for polypropylene.

The bottom line for tyres

For tyre makers, secure access to neodymium catalyst systems and tailored rubber grades is a strategic lever. Consistent neodymium-catalysed polybutadiene and polyisoprene support tread compounds that balance abrasion resistance, grip and rolling efficiency. If Sibur executes to plan, domestic catalyst supply could improve availability and cost control for synthetic rubber producers serving both ICE and EV tyre programmes from 2027 onward.

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