Atyrau hosted the “Local Value, Shared Growth” forum, dedicated to developing Kazakhstani content within the country’s largest petrochemical initiative — the construction of a polyethylene plant with an annual capacity of 1.25 million tons.
The event brought together more than 500 Kazakhstani companies, representatives of the Atyrau Region Akim, the Ministry of Energy of Kazakhstan, JSC NC KazMunayGas, as well as investors and industry associations. The forum was organized by Tecnimont (MAIRE) in partnership with Sinopec Shanghai Engineering Corporation (SSEC), sponsored by Silleno LLP.
The platform served as an important venue for direct dialogue between international contractors and Kazakhstani producers. Participants were briefed on the current status of the project and upcoming procurement plans for equipment and materials to be used in the construction of the polymerization unit and off-site facilities of the future Silleno plant.
In his remarks, Askhat Khassenov, Chairman of the Management Board of KazMunayGas, emphasized that the national company is committed to developing petrochemicals — a strategic industry that opens new opportunities for Kazakhstan’s economy.
- At the instruction of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, KazMunayGas is consistently advancing the petrochemical sector as one of the drivers of industrialization and the shift from raw material exports to deeper processing. Increasing the share of Kazakhstani content is a key strategic priority, helping to boost the competitiveness of domestic companies. Overall, when implementing large-scale projects with international partners, we place particular focus on fostering local content, including through the engagement of Kazakhstani enterprises in works, services, and supply of goods, — said the head of KazMunayGas.
As part of the forum, an agreement was signed on Silleno’s accession to the Association “International Center for Development of Oil and Gas Machine Building” (IMB Center), which will contribute to the development of local content and strengthen cooperation between the operator of the Polyethylene project and domestic manufacturers.
In the design of the polymerization unit and off-site facilities of the future plant, leading Kazakhstani design institutes — Kazgiproneftetrans, Promstroyproject and Karaganda Promstroyproekt Institute will be involved. This will allow domestic engineering companies to gain unique experience in designing a large-scale and high-tech petrochemical complex.
Another highlight of the forum was Tecnimont’s announcement of a new educational initiative to train the next generation of engineers. Over the next four years, graduates from Kazakhstani universities will undergo technical training, offering top performers employment opportunities at MAIRE’s global projects including the Silleno project in the Atyrau region.
Background
Silleno LLP is the operator of the polyethylene project in the Atyrau region with a planned annual production capacity of 1.25 million tons. The project’s shareholders are JSC NC KazMunayGas (40%), Sinopec Overseas Investment Holding (30%) and PJSC SIBUR Holding (30%).
The Tecnimont–SSEC partnership serves as the EPC contractor for the polymerization and UI&O facilities of the future polyethylene plant.
