Saransk fiber optic manufacturer plans full-cycle production

JSC "Optic fiber systems" (Saransk, the founders of "Rosnano", "Gazprom" and the government of Mordovia) plans to establish its own production of preforms for the manufacture of optical fibers. Now the company buys them in Japan. Foreign producers, such as German ones, can act as suppliers of raw materials. However, the company wants to establish production in Russia, probably in cooperation with chemical plants. The volume of investments in the project may amount to 10 billion rubles.

As it became known to Kommersant-Privolzhye, JSC Optical Fiber Systems can invest up to 10 billion rubles. in the production of preforms - blanks for drawing optical fibers. The volume of fiber production in this case should increase from the current 4 million km per year to 10–15 million km. At the same time, the entire EurAsEC optical fiber market currently amounts to 9 million km per year. The company expects that the state policy in the field of building modern communication lines will change, and the gap with developed countries in terms of the length of fiber per person will be reduced in the country. In addition, the program for the development of the digital economy can stimulate an increase in the consumption of optical fiber.

Raw materials for the production of preforms (silicon tetrachloride and germanium tetrachloride) "Optic fiber systems" can already now be purchased abroad, for example in Germany.

However, the company expects to establish production in Russia. Now the raw material is produced domestically, but the degree of its purification is insufficient.

The technologies for its post-treatment, for example, are owned by the Institute of Chemistry of High-Purity Substances of the Russian Academy of Sciences in Nizhny Novgorod, but the Saransk enterprise needs large volumes. Raw materials of the proper degree of purity can also be produced by the Nizhny Novgorod NPP Salyut, but its supplies can ensure the manufacture of tens of kilometers of optical fiber, and the capacities of the Saransk plant are measured in millions of kilometers. "Optic fiber systems" negotiated with several chemical enterprises in Dzerzhinsk, and see their interest in cooperation.

The Saransk manufacturer plans to purchase equipment for the production of preforms abroad. In particular, the option of purchasing equipment from the Finnish company Extrom, whose equipment is currently installed at the plant, was considered. At the same time, a technological partner who can transfer production methods has not yet been determined. They can be made by Japanese manufacturers. The plant can be built in two years from the date of approval of the project, another year will be required for commissioning. The timing of the project depends on when the company manages to reach the production volume of 10 million km of fiber per year.

According to SPARK-Interfax, JSC Optic Fiber Systems was registered in 2008. The authorized capital is 3.56 billion rubles. General Director - Andrey Nikolaev. 47.73% of the company is owned by Rosnano Group of Companies, the same part is owned by GPB - High Technologies LLC (a subsidiary of Gazprombank), another 1.89% is owned by the Mordovia Property Fund, a state-owned state institution. In 2018, with a revenue of 892.93 million rubles. the enterprise for the first time reached a net profit, it amounted to 23.96 million rubles. In 2019, the modernization was completed at the enterprise, productivity increased by 1.5 times. The cost of the project amounted to more than 950 million rubles, of which 500 million rubles. - concessional IDF loan.

Andrey Nikolaev, General Director of the company, says that the main problem for the company is the ability to sell products in Russia due to the high degree of competition with the world's main manufacturers. At the same time, he assures that this competition is often unfair. In particular, according to him, in 2015, when the Saransk plant began operating, one of the largest fiber optic manufacturers Corning (USA) actually obliged Russian cable plants to conclude long-term contracts with it. In this regard, Optivovolokonnye Sistemy filed an application for an anti-dumping investigation. In addition, Mr. Nikolaev points out that even defense enterprises, despite the ban, use fiber optics from foreign manufacturers, although the quality of the domestic one meets international standards, which is confirmed by certificates.

“Today it is difficult to say how much such an increase in fiber production is necessary,” says Konstantin Ankilov from TNT-Consulting.

— The fact is that the stage of active construction of backbone and large urban fiber optic networks has already been completed several years ago. These networks have already been laid everywhere they could.” At the same time, he notes that there is still a need for fiber at the regional level. Therefore, in the foreseeable future, the creation of fiber optic networks will continue, the product will also be needed to re-lay existing networks. “Over time, fiber wears out its life, darkens and loses its performance. Therefore, previously built networks will have to be changed. The main risks in the organization of such production in Russia really remain high competition from foreign manufacturers,” the expert concluded.

Source: https://www.kommersant.ru/