Shavkat Mirziyoyev launched a unique world-scale plant “Uzbekistan GTL”

TEHRAN (Iran News) – Today, on the eve of the New Year, we are witnessing a great event that opens another bright page in the annals of the industrial development of Uzbekistan. The construction of such a huge complex, of course, was a direct result of the policy pursued in recent years to develop the domestic industry at a qualitatively new level, the President of Uzbekistan.

The plant is unique both in terms of investment and scale. Its cost is $3 billion 420 thousand, the area of  facilities is 135 hectares. The fact that more than 13 thousand engineers and workers were simultaneously involved in the construction shows how much work has been done. Prior to that, such large complexes were built in only four countries of the world – Qatar, Nigeria, South Africa and Malaysia.

More than 10 thousand pieces of equipment are installed at the plant, produced by about 130 leading enterprises in 24 countries, including Japan, South Korea, Singapore, USA, Germany, Italy, Great Britain, Russia and China. Received 140 international licenses and patents for the use of technological solutions, equipment and processes. Most of them have no analogues in the world

This plant is the largest enterprise in the petrochemical industry not only in Uzbekistan, but throughout the entire region. It will annually process 3.6 billion cubic meters of natural gas and produce 1.5 million tons of liquid fuel worth over US$1 billion. In particular – 307 thousand tons of aviation kerosene, 724 thousand tons of diesel fuel, 437 thousand tons of naphtha, 53 thousand tons of liquefied gas.

Due to the release of these products, import substitution will amount to US$500 million a year, exports for US$200 million and tax revenues to the budget for 2 trillion soums will be provided.

As for the economic effect, the plant will convert natural gas into finished products in high demand on the world market, the cost of which is 3 times higher. In particular, aviation kerosene, which will be produced here, is much cleaner and of a higher quality in comparison with the products of other factories and is intended for the most modern aircraft. Diesel fuel also meets high standards – not less than Euro-6.

According to the estimates of the International Energy Agency, the production of GTL products in the world will double by 2030. Therefore, it is planned to increase the output of other new types of products with higher added value. In particular, the plant will implement 6 projects worth US$620 million for the production of products such as alkyl benzene, butene and hexene, synthetic oils, maleic anhydride, emulsion additives, catalysts. Such semi-finished products are widely used in the chemical industry, the production of household chemicals, furniture, building materials and electrical engineering, the textile and leather industries.

The President stressed that today the world is actively moving towards a “green” economy and the new plant fully meets this trend. The plant’s products fully meet the highest international environmental requirements, norms and standards. When using GTL fuel, emissions of harmful substances will be 40 percent less than when using traditional fuel. This will prevent the release of 13.5 thousand tons of harmful substances into the atmosphere annually.

– With the launch of the plant, 1,300 specialists will be provided with permanent high-paying jobs. It is especially pleasing that about 80 percent of the specialists who participated in the construction of the plant are local cadres, including young people who are striving to work in a new way, full of strength and energy.

These youth are the youth of New Uzbekistan. I am convinced that it will make a worthy contribution to the development of the national industry, will become its “golden fund”, – said Shavkat Mirziyoyev.

The tasks of revising curricula based on modern requirements, organizing students’ practice at the plant have been identified.

At the ceremony, the technical director of Uzbekistan GTL Marcel Jurgen Krause, President of Hyundai Engineering Kim Chang Hag, Deputy Chairman of the Board of Gazprombank Alexei Matveev, President of Air Products and Chemicals Seyfi Gasimi made speeches and noted the historical significance of the new plant.

Labor veterans, the parents of the plant workers stressed that this project is the embodiment of the principle “in the name of human honor and dignity” implemented in Uzbekistan, and expressed gratitude to Shavkat Mirziyoyev.

As part of the ceremony, a project was launched to triple the production capacity of the Shurtan Gas Chemical Complex.

A new enterprise worth US$1.8 billion will be built next to the Uzbekistan GTL plant. By processing 430 thousand tons of naphtha per year, 380 thousand tons of polyethylene and polypropylene will be produced. About a thousand more jobs will be created.

Thus, the country’s first gas chemical cluster will appear in Shurtan. Production volumes in this cluster will be increased from the current US$290 million to US$1.8 billion in 2025, or will increase 6 times.

The enterprises of the cluster from raw materials worth US$1 will produce finished products with high added value – US$10.

– Projects for the construction of the Uzbekistan GTL plant and the expansion of the Shurtan gas chemical complex are an important stage in the formation of a new industrial era in New Uzbekistan. I am convinced that together with you we are successfully implementing many more large projects that will a great contribution to the development of the national economy, strengthening its competitiveness, – said the President.

Shavkat Mirziyoyev has also laid a capsule in the foundation of a new enterprise.