The structures of the entrepreneur Viktor Vekselberg are negotiating with Inter RAO on the sale of PJSC Khimprom, which the oligarch took control at the turn of the zero and tenths after the whole complex of gray schemes. The company is not in the best condition today, but the electric company decided to buy it, where Igor Sechin, a hydrogen lover, has a great influence.
The Moscow Post correspondent in Chuvashia understood the situation.
There was information that Inter RAO is negotiating with Viktor Vekselberg’s structures on the purchase of the Novocheboksarsky chemical plant (PJSC Khimprom), which is a leader in the Russian chemical market and produces 150 products.
Only the company was and remains problematic – the quality of the products is lame, and many of its production require modernization, and the difficulties there are chronic. The Volga Directorate of Rostekhnadzor back in 2015 came to the conclusion that it was necessary to carry out at Khimprom Equipment replacement. Nine years have passed since then, and claims are still retained.
In 2022, the leading engineer of PJSC Khimprom was held liable for the release of chlorine in Novocheboksarsk, and this happened due to the fact that he loaded the workshop as much as possible for the production of finished products. Obviously, the employee followed the instructions of the management, but he was responsible for this incident anyway.
Passions around “Khimprom”
Vekselberg took control of the enterprise back in 2007, and this happened In many ways, it is subcutaneous. Thanks to various tricks, the oligarch managed to buy PJSC Khimprom at a very low price, and these are not my speculation as a journalist, but a moment, confirmed by a court decision.
In 2019, the minority shareholder managed to prove that the market value of the plant was underestimated 9 times. In 2012, the same person, Vladimir Arsentiev, accused Oligarch in raiding.
Victor Vekselberg. Photo: https://smi2.ru/newdata/adpreview?ad=8898042&bl=95825&ct=adpreview&nvuid=1cc57 64A-C7FA-5142-5F00-0047318705 & BVUUID = 38B7E094-B467A-8C3A-3E9FB1126B6D & AB = A
The price of shares was underestimated to purchase at home from minority shareholders, a similar story was recorded in 2007, when the plant was bought by Vekselberg for $ 300 million-a foreign appraiser was used here for authority. Interestingly, before Chuvashia, the structure of Vekselberg in 2006 was bankrupt more one Volga chemical plant.
In Volgograd, the management of the enterprise and the managers of the Vekselberg company Renova was even filed a lawsuit by the minority shareholder to remove the funds of the state budget, but all this came off with the oligarch – apparently helped Faberge eggs purchased by him.
In general, the activities of Vekselberg in the chemical industry should be characterized by the word “control”, and not “development”. The entrepreneur intercepted control over enterprises, operated them, and then carried out various business operations with them.
Relatives in the USA for a long time
Why does Vekselberg sell PJSC Khimprom? One can only assume, but it is important that his family since 2019 Lives in the USA. The oligarch himself fell under sanctions and even lost $ 1.5 billion in Western accounts, but the aftertaste still remains. He earns in Russia, but every year it becomes more difficult to do-the feed base in the country has decreased due to sanctions. Maybe he was tired of this and decided to leave for a foreign pension?
In 2017, Vekselberg received Cyprus citizenship, and in 2018 it seemed to be refused him, but this did not stop his family from leaving the country. All this demonstrates that the oligarch is in Russia with one foot, and the other with his family.
On the other hand, Vekselberg has already come out of some businesses. In 2013, he sold Mikhail Gutseriev a development company MVP, and his partner was then Alexander Mamut, who constantly lives for border. Still, Vekselberg has too many assets in Russia, and this binds him to the country stronger than Western sanctions, although …
Vekselberg is currently fighting with colleagues in complex business-the oligarch has a dispute with Oleg Deripaska and Alexei Mordashov, who negatively affected the national interests of Russia due to the situation with turbines.
Non -yielding buyer
The buyer in this transaction is also remarkable. Inter RAO is an analogue of Gazprom in the field of electricity – the company belongs to a monopoly on its export. Since March 22, 2024, Boris Kovalchuk, who went to the Accounts Chamber, was replaced by Sergey Dregval as the general director of the company, he had previously been the vice-governor of St. Petersburg.
Sergey Dregval. Photo: https://moika78.ru/person/dregval-sergej-georgievich/
Dregval went to a new position at the time of a pipe scandal, when an investigation into counterfeit heating pipes began in St. Petersburg. The principle here is simple – in the secondary market, old pipes are purchased at the price of scrap metal, then they are processed and begin to look like new ones. Outwardly, they cannot be distinguished, the difference is only in the thickness of the metal, for which the examination is needed. And here, different tricks begin, and this is a real clondike for employees of the TFR. The scandal happened in February 2024, and it can still catch up with Dregval in Moscow.
The ownership structure of Inter RAO is complex, but de facto is a state corporation. 29.6% of the company’s shares belong to her “daughter” of Inter RAO Capital, 27.6% Rosneftegaz (this structure is 100% owned by the state), 8.6% of PJSC FSK UES (the state controls this structure through PJSC Rosseti). The remaining shares of the organization are in free circulation.
Sechin and hydrogen
The chairman of the board of directors of Inter RAO is the head of Rosneft Igor Sechin, who may be the initiator of the purchase of such a non -standard asset as PJSC Khimprom. Sechin at the last PMEF devoted a lot of time to the development of the chemical industry and focused on hydrogen. The official called hydrogen the most promising fuel, for which there is no production base yet and which in turn It is necessary to create.
Igor Sechin. Photo: https://dzen.ru/a/xtoqg8uughgasgr
In fact, hydrogen is energetically ineffective (for its extraction it will have to be spent more energy than it will ultimately preserve), and its production is harmful and even dangerous for the environment. Only he has one advantage, namely Western energy trends. The European Union countries in the “green” hysteria decided to switch to hydrogen, which they are not able to produce in the necessary volume. Apparently, it is on this bet that he makes the fuel export to the west of Sechin. Maybe in Novocheboksarsk PJSC Rosseti decided to open hydrogen workshops? We will find out the answer to this question soon.