Page 4 - FSUOGM Week 26

FSUOGM COMMENTARY FSUOGM
Turkmenistan launches world’s biggest GTG plant
Turkmenistan has advanced a raft of projects aimed at monetising its vast underdeveloped gas resources
TURKMENISTAN
The facility employs TIGAS gasoline synthesis technology developed by Danish catalysis company Haldor Topsoe.
TURKMEN President Gurbanguly Berdy- mukhammedov has cut the ribbon on a $1.7bn plant to convert natural gas into gasoline, billed as the rst of its kind in the world.
The head of state took part in a commis- sioning ceremony on June 28 in Turkmenistan’s central Ahal region, joined by representatives of a Japanese delegation. At full capacity, the gas-to-gasoline (GTG) plant will annually pro- cess 1.785bn cubic metres of gas and produce 600,000 tonnes of gasoline and 115,000 tonnes of lique ed petroleum gas (LPG).
Chasing value
The GTG plant is among a raft of projects Turkmenistan is advancing to monetise its gas resources. e country’s boasts the fourth largest gas reserves in the world, assessed by BP at 19.5tn cubic metres, but has had di culty capitalising on this wealth because of limited investment and a lack of export routes. Authorities have sought to galvanise development by converting gas into higher-value products that can be more readily shipped overseas.
In September 2018, a $1.5bn fertiliser plant was launched that runs on gas feedstock and
produces 1.1mn tonnes per year (tpy) of urea. e following month, a $3.4bn gas-based pet- rochemical plant was commissioned, capable of turning out 386,000 tpy of polyethylene and 81,000 tpy of polypropylene. e government also has plans to expand gas- red power gen- eration, with the aim of exporting its electricity surplus to Afghanistan and other neighbouring states.
e GTG project was initially slated to start up last year, although trial operations did not get under way until this January. Japan’s Kawa- saki Heavy Industries and Turkey’s Ronesans served as its lead contractors, under a JPY150bn ($1.7bn) deal penned with state-owned Turk- mengaz in August 2014. That year the Japan Bank for International Co-operation (JBIC) granted a so loan covering 85% of construc- tion costs.
Tech debut
e facility employs TIGAS gasoline synthesis technology developed and owned by Denmark’s Haldor Topsoe. It is the largest of its kind, as many gas-to-liquids (GTL) projects across the world are largely geared towards diesel rather
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w w w . N E W S B A S E . c o m Week 26 03•July•2019