Page 12 - FSUOGM Week 24 2021

FSUOGM PROJECTS & COMPANIES FSUOGM

Uzbekistan to launch gas-to-

liquids plant within months

UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN is set to launch its first gas-to-liq- of Korea, the Korean Trade and Insurance Cor-
uids (GTL) plant in the second half of this year, poration, Gazprombank, Roseximbank, the
The plant will convert project contractor Enter Engineering told Reu- Russian Agency for Export Credit and Invest-
natural gas into more ters on June 9. ment Insurance, Credit Suisse, MUFG, Mizuho,
valuable products, The $3.6bn plant, originally expected to be Woori Bank and SMBC.
while easing fuel launched within 2020, will allow the Central According to the State Statistics Committee
scarcity. Asian nation to use its plentiful natural gas of Uzbekistan, 2.142mn tonnes of oil and gas
reserves to produce more fuels such as die- condensate and 49.739bn cubic metres of natu-
sel which it currently imports due to declin- ral gas were produced in the republic last year.
ing crude oil output and insufficient refinery Production of gasoline amounted to 1.016mn
capacity. tons, diesel fuel-0.931mn tons.
Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Uzbekistan imported more than 602,000
Central Asian countries Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan tonnes of diesel fuel, about 77,000 tonnes of
and Uzbekistan, which have modest oil reserves, gasoline and about 20,000 tonnes of jet fuel
have not been able to meet growing demand for from Russia in 2020. Last year, the country also
oil products. They are thus forced to import fuel received 87,700 tonnes of diesel fuel and 75,900
from Russia and other countries. tonnes of gasoline from Kazakhstan, according
Uzbekistan, which is rich in gas reserves, has to railway statistics.
been trying to use its gas advantage to satisfy Uzbekneftegaz GTL notes the low sulfur con-
demand for oil with products derived from gas tent in synthetic diesel fuel, which is expected to
feedstock instead. meet the standards of Euro-5, Euro6 and EN
"The products of the GTL plant will be of 15940/K5.
strategic importance, especially in terms of Diesel fuel, according to plans, will be pro-
ensuring and maintaining the fuel and energy duced at marketable quality for direct sale.
independence of Uzbekistan [and] with the Uzbekneftegaz GTL said that the product
start of production at the GTL plant, the import reduces emissions of pollutants by up to 70%
of diesel fuel and jet fuel to the republic will be compared to standard diesel fuel based on oil
significantly reduced," Uzbekneftegaz GTL told and helps to reduce deposits in the engine.
Reuters. The synthetic kerosene produced by
The $3.61bn Uzbekneftegaz GTL plant is Uzbekneftegaz GTL will be mixed with jet ker-
100% owned by state-owned Uzbekneftegaz. osene, which is produced at another plant in the
The company estimated the overall project read- country, the Bukhara Refinery.
iness at 96%. After the expansion of the Shurtan gas chem-
The annual processing capacity of the com- ical complex, the naphtha produced by GTL will
plex is 3.6bn cubic meters of gas with the produc- be sent to the GCF to increase the production of
tion of 307,000 tons of kerosene, 724,000 tons of polymer products.
synthetic diesel fuel, 437,000 tons of synthetic GTL naphtha, being a highly paraffinic prod-
naphtha and 53,000 tons of liquefied gas, accord- uct (the paraffin content is 98%), practically does
ing to the plant. not contain aromatic hydrocarbons or sulfur and
In addition to satisfying domestic demand, is a raw material for cracking ethylene.
Uzbekneftegaz is aiming to export products to The plant has signed contracts for the stor-
the markets of the CIS countries, Asia and far age of petroleum products with 15 oil depots of
abroad. Uzbekneftegaz in all regions of the country.
The project is financed by the state company The GTL synthetic liquid fuel production
Uzbekneftegaz, the Fund for Reconstruction complex consists of 4 main plants: synthesis gas
and Development of Uzbekistan, the Chinese production, synthesis liquid production, energy
Development Bank, the Export-Import Bank supply and product refinement. ™

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