NEWS

Chemists from the Mendeleev Russian Chemical Technology University, the Institute of Problems of Chemical Physics under RAS and the Institute of Physical Chemistry and Electrochemistry under RAS have developed a neutralisation battery, a device capable of generating electricity from the pH difference of two liquids, such as waste acid and alkali runoff from chemical production facilities. The findings are published in the ChemSusChem journal.

The concept of neutralisation batteries, which derive their energy from the difference in pH values of two liquids called electrolytes, appeared in the 1970s but have not been sufficiently developed due to the fact that such batteries do not produce high discharge power and cannot store significant amounts of energy. But they do have one advantage, the low cost of electrolytes: chemical waste and even seawater.

The researchers tested the construction of a neutralisation battery using dilute solutions of HCl and NaOH. The key idea was to use hydrogen electrodes. As a result, reactions involving hydrogen take place in both vessels, and it is from these that the total neutralisation energy is added up. The flow of hydrogen in this system is looped - when charged, it is released to the left at the cathode and consumed to the right at the anode.

The authors have proved that such a device can be recharged, and its specific power reached 6 mW/cm2, one of the highest values among neutralisation batteries.

Kronshtadt, a Russian company, is developing air-launched drones that will be able to return to the aircraft.

The question is about the Molniya drone systems. At the same time, the company’s representative noted that not all types of drones from its composition will be able to return to the carrier.

“It should be understood that the Molniya UAVs can be produced in several versions: reconnaissance, strike, and electronic warfare drones. The return of reconnaissance and electronic warfare drones is implied, strike drones obviously not, as it would simply be dangerous to return them, even if they have not been implemented on some targets,” the representative explained.

Kronshtadt is considering the heavy military transport IL-76 as one of the base drone-carrying aircraft.

The Sputnik Light, a Russian single-component coronavirus vaccine (the first component of the Sputnik V vaccine), has shown a high safety record and 93.5% efficacy in a vaccination in Paraguay, Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) said.

The RDIF, a sovereign fund in the Russian Federation, announces information from the Paraguay’s Ministry of Health demonstrating high safety performance of the single-component vaccine Sputnik Light and 93.5% effectiveness during mass vaccination in the country.

The efficacy calculation, the Fund said, was based on data analysis from 320,000 people who had been vaccinated with Sputnik Light as of July 30, 2021.

Statistics on the use of Sputnik Light in Paraguay demonstrate the vaccine’s high safety profile: for example, the RDIF noted that there have been no vaccine-related serious adverse events, no cases of death, no cases of cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT), Guillain-Barré syndrome, increased capillary permeability syndrome, etc.

RDIF was the first in the world to initiate joint research on the combination of the first component of Sputnik V with foreign drugs. Preliminary results of a clinical trial on the combined use of the Sputnik Light vaccine and AstraZeneca product in Azerbaijan demonstrate the absence of serious adverse events and cases of disease.

Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade of Tatarstan German Lerner, has met today with Erkin Aydit, Advisor to the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Kyrgyz Republic to the Russian Federation.

During the meeting, the parties exchanged views on the bilateral cooperation agenda in the economic sphere. During the talks, the Kyrgyzstani side expressed its readiness to adopt the experience of establishing special economic zones and creating logistics centres for agricultural products to supply them to Tatarstan.

As Deputy Minister Lerner noted, Tatarstan is interested in expanding economic and investment ties with the Kyrgyz Republic. “Great interest exists in cooperation in automotive industry, helicopter manufacturing, petrochemicals, hi-tech, healthcare. There are also premises for expanding ties in culture and tourism,” he said.

In 2017, an agreement was signed between Tatarstan and the Kyrgyz Republic on trade and economic, scientific and technology, social and humanitarian cooperation. Currently, a Tatarstan-Kyrgyzstan working group is being worked out and a draft roadmap for enhancing cooperation is being developed. The Tatarstan-Kyrgyzstan working group includes representatives of various organisations from Tatarstan.

At the end of the meeting, the parties expressed mutual interest in continuing close contacts to promote topical issues of mutual interest.

Today, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade of Tatarstan German Lerner had a videoconference meeting with Managing Director of KazakhExport Insurance Company Kuanysh Mukazhanov. The meeting was also attended by Plenipotentiary Representative of Tatarstan in Kazakhstan Denis Valeyev.

During the meeting, the Kazakhstani party told the participants to the meeting about the experience of implementing government support measures for export development. Kuanysh Mukazhanov dwell on KazakhExport activities and the tools being used to support and develop exports of the Kazakhstani enterprises.

KazakhExport is a state export insurance agency of Kazakhstan, the core operations of which are to support exports and implement insurance tools for protecting export operations. In March 2017, it was awarded the status of a national company, which allowed KazakhExport to expand its capacity to support domestic exporters.

In order to implement its mission and vision, KazakhExport carries out work in the following three key strategic areas, in line with the KazakhExport Development Strategy for 2014-2023: development of financial and insurance support to Kazakhstani exports, non-financial support to export activities of Kazakhstani enterprises, and reinsurance.

Vaccination of employees against coronavirus continues at KAMAZ.

According to the latest data, 2,577 employees have already received the first component of the vaccine. Both components of Sputnik V have been given to 21,167 KAMAZ employees.

In addition to the main production sites in Naberezhnye Chelny, employees are also being vaccinated at subsidiaries of KAMAZ. For instance, 1842 and 486 people were vaccinated at Bashkiria’s sites of NEFAZ and TZA, respectively. Tutaevsky Engine Plant, a KAMAZ subsidiary in the Yaroslavl Region, currently has 666 vaccinated employees; United Auto Technology Group (also part of KAMAZ), 2232 employees.

Company staff is vaccinated on-the-job. In order to apply for the procedure, KAMAZ employees should contact the personnel department of their division. Vaccinations are administered by employees of the city polyclinics in the health posts of the company’s plants and divisions.

Seventeen manufacturers from Tatarstan have submitted applications for the Tastes of Russia contest. They include Tatar Baly, Pishchekombinat, Kausar, Kaprino (а Laishevo cheese factory), Kamamber, EMIZ Trading House, Bakery No. 1, Agrosila, Factory of Healthy Foods, Bekhetle Trading House, and National Trademark Unitary Enterprise.

The second Tastes of Russia national contest of regional food brands organised by the Ministry of Agriculture of Russia has already received 620 applications from 78 regions of the country, more than the number of participants last year.

From October 20 to November 7, a popular vote will take place, during which every Russian citizen will be able to support their favourite product and their region.

The 16th International Commercial Vehicle Show, Comtrans 2021, will open next week on 7 September in Moscow at the Crocus Expo exhibition centre. The leader of the Russian truck building, a permanent participant of the largest exhibition site, KAMAZ, will present about 30 exhibits this year including a lot of novelties.

Visiting the main stand of KAMAZ, one will be able to follow the main trends of Russian automotive industry development. There will be the first KAMAZ of the K6 generation, alternative fuel vehicles including gas-powered trucks, electric vehicles, novelties for passenger transportation, and much more.

Other exhibits to be displayed are the NEFAZ-5299-31-57 CNG-powered commuter bus, the KAMAZ-6290 hydrogen-powered bus, the KAMAZ-6292 articulated electric bus, the KAMAZ-53198 (Chistogor) electric garbage truck, and KAMAZ-62825 trolleybus with increased range of autonomous operation, the Compass 9 light-duty truck and other state-of-the-art models of motor vehicles.

As part of the outdoor display, the company will present a KAMAZ-5490 truck tractor running on compressed natural gas coupled with a NEFAZ-93348 curtainsider semi-trailer with 1107-litre gas cylinders to increase the range of the road train and a concrete mixer 58146W on a gas-powered KAMAZ chassis. KAMAZ-65805 (Atlant 60), KAMAZ-65807 (Atlant 65) and KAMAZ-6561 (Hercules) will be demonstrated in the mine truck division. In addition, a whole range of KAMAZ special vehicles will be presented jointly with partner companies.

Partnership relations between Tatarstan and Uzbekistan oil companies were discussed with participation of Director General of Tatneft Nail Maganov and Chairman of the Management Board of Uzbekneftegaz Mekhridin Abdullaev.

The parties discussed issues concerning joint projects in geological prospecting, overhaul of wells, drilling of wells, staff training, expansion of gas station network, and opportunities of implementing fine petrochemicals projects in Uzbekistan.

During the working visit to Tatarstan, the Uzbekneftegaz delegation was introduced to Tatneft’s operations directly at production facilities.

The company has been successfully implementing oil, gas, and chemical projects. As part of the visit to the Nizhnekamsk business sector of the company, the representatives of Uzbekistan were introduced to the activities of TANECO Complex of Refinery and Petrochemical Plants, the prospects for project development and the products manufactured. The Uzbekistan delegation visited tyre manufacturing complex of Tatneft, where the guests were shown the advantages of the solid metal cord tyres. The Uzbek representatives also visited Tatneft’s simulation and drilling control centres. The competencies of the company allow to create scientific proving grounds for exploration and field development, conduct feasibility studies, design field development with selection and implementation of geotechnical measures, enhanced oil recovery methods, etc.

Tatenergo took second place in the social efficiency rating of the largest Russian energy companies, compiled by the AK&M rating agency. RusHydro was the best energy company in terms of the ratio of benefits to society and the burden on the environment.

Tatenergo ranked second in the social efficiency rating, while Inter RAO ranked third, according to AK&M.

The social performance rating has been published by the AK&M rating agency since 2018. The purpose of the ranking is to show the companies that bring the best benefits to society with the least environmental impact and to find a balance between the environmental burden of enterprises and their positive impact on society.

The result of the ranking is a list of companies based on the company’s social performance. It was calculated using two groups of indicators: social effect of activities (total payments to the budget, for charitable purposes, expenses on environmental protection, payments to employees with account for their labour involvement factor); environmental burden (volume of air and water pollution, solid waste corrected for the level of waste toxicity). The social efficiency rating was constructed by ranking the companies according to the resulting indicator.