During a visit to the Bukhara region on May 31, 2024, President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev officially launched the project of the Gas Chemical Complex based on MTO technology (GCC MTO), located in the Karakul Free Economic Zone.
The GCC MTO project is being implemented in accordance with the Development Strategy of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan for
The complex, using innovative MTO technology (methanol to olefins), will become the core of the gas chemical cluster and will annually produce 1,100,000 tons of high-quality polymer raw materials, including 350,000 tons of polypropylene, 300,000 tons of polyethylene terephthalate, 100,000 tons of ethylene vinyl acetate, 80,000 tons of low-density polyethylene and 280,000 tons of high-density polyethylene.
Low-density polyethylene, ethylene vinyl acetate and polyethylene terephthalate will be produced in Uzbekistan for the first time.
The key consumers of GCC MTO’s products will be resident companies of the Karakul FEZ, as well as local companies specializing in textile production, car manufacturers and construction companies, chemical and pharmaceutical companies, packaging industry and food production.
In order to implement the project, the world’s leading petrochemical companies from the USA, China, Europe and Asia were attracted as partners, including such technology leaders as Sinopec, Air Products and Chemicals Inc., Versalis, Chemtex, ChevronPhillips, Grace Catalyst Technologies, Haldor Topsoe, Lummus Technologies.
The launch of GCC MTO will create about 2,000 new highly qualified jobs directly at the enterprise itself, and tens of thousands of people throughout Uzbekistan will be provided with work in related industries due to the cumulative effect.