Chairman of the Management Board of JSC NC KazMunayGas, Askhat Khassenov, visited the construction site of the Silleno polyethylene plant with a capacity of 1.25 million tonnes per year during a working trip to the Atyrau region.
The project is being implemented in line with the instruction of the Head of State, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, to develop the country’s petrochemical cluster and it is one of the largest projects in Kazakhstan’s manufacturing sector.
Construction activities are currently underway at two key process units. Overall project progress stands at 22%, with all works proceeding according to schedule.
At the pyrolysis unit, where ethylene will be produced, piling works (89%) and foundation construction (over 20%) are ongoing. Installation of precast reinforced concrete structures for the subsequent erection of pipe racks has commenced.
At the second key unit, polymerization, as well as at off-site facilities, 427 thousand cubic meters of earthworks have been completed and 3,721 piles have been driven.
This year will see the delivery and installation of the first major pieces of large-scale equipment, including an ethylene fractionation column weighing nearly 1,500 tonnes and standing 101 meters high, manufactured at the AtyrauNefteMash plant. Installation of steel structures and process pipelines will also begin.
To date, more than 1,300 personnel are engaged in construction works (over 90% are citizens of Kazakhstan), along with approximately 330 units of machinery. Commissioning of the plant and production of the first output are scheduled for 2029.
The production of polyethylene — a high-demand raw material for numerous industries — will enable Kazakhstan to reduce import dependence and expand the production of higher value-added products.
In addition, during a meeting on the implementation of major petrochemical projects, A. Khassenov reviewed the current status of the Gas Separation Complex (GSC) at the Tengiz field and the main ethane and propane pipelines, which will ensure feedstock supply for future gas chemical facilities.
The GSC project has entered an active phase: piling works and site preparation for the main facilities are underway. Measures to increase local content are being implemented in parallel, with part of the equipment and construction materials manufactured by domestic enterprises. More than 600 people are currently involved at the site, over 70% of whom are residents of the Atyrau region.
Under the main pipeline project, an EPC contractor was selected at the end of 2025, and scheduled preparatory works are ongoing. Construction and installation works are planned to commence in the second half of 2026.
The Head of KMG instructed to strictly adhere to the construction schedule of all major petrochemical projects in the region.
