The construction of one of Kazakhstan’s largest processing industry projects – a polyethylene plant with a capacity of 1.25 million tonnes per year – is underway in the Atyrau region.
Today, Askhat Khassenov, Chairman of the Management Board of JSC NC “KazMunayGas,” visited the construction site to review the current progress and key stages of project implementation.
At the pyrolysis unit, where ethylene will be produced, nearly 50% of the piling work has been completed: 7,437 out of 15,038 piles have been driven, and foundation work is underway. Simultaneously, temporary infrastructure is being constructed, including offices, dormitories, and a canteen for personnel.
The EPC contractor for the unit is Tecnicas Reunidas (Spain), working in consortium with Sinopec Engineering Incorporation (China).
The production of polyethylene – a highly sought-after raw material used across numerous industries – will help reduce Kazakhstan’s dependence on imports and support the development of high value-added manufacturing. This aligns with the strategic priorities set by the Head of State to advance the petrochemical cluster and promote non-resource-based exports.
The project also carries significant socio-economic benefits. At peak construction, over 8,000 people will be employed on-site, and approximately 800 permanent jobs will be created once the plant is operational. Currently, more than 300 people are already engaged at the site.
Localization will be strongly supported through collaboration with domestic enterprises. For example, key equipment for the pyrolysis unit – two columns and deaerators – will be manufactured by Atyrauneftemash.
Commissioning is scheduled for 2029.
In addition, engineering and planning work has commenced for the Gas Separation Complex (GSC).
The GSC project is designed to supply Silleno LLP’s polyethylene plant with the necessary feedstock – approximately 1.57 million tonnes of ethane per year. The complex will be built at the Tengiz field.
This is a landmark project, as Kazakhstan has never previously constructed gas processing facilities of such scale – over 9 billion standard cubic meters per year – for the extraction of valuable components such as ethane and propane. These fractions will be extracted from dry, purified gas supplied by Tengizchevroil LLP.
