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GCC MTO NAMES EPC CONTRACTOR ENTER ENGINEERING TO LEAD MULTI-BILLION DOLLAR PROJECT

All news
17.11.2022

As plans move forward for what is to become the largest polymer-producing facility in Central Asia, Gas Chemical Complex MTO Central Asia LLC (GCC MTO), its operator, has officially named Enter Engineering Pte Ltd as EPC contractor for the project.

The advanced methanol-to-olefin complex will be an anchor enterprise in a newly created Free Economic Zone in Karakul, Bukhara region. GCC MTO is wholly owned by FE Sanoat Energetika Guruhi LLC (SANEG), Uzbekistan’s largest private oil and gas producer.

Enter Engineering Pte Ltd is the leading EPC contractor in Uzbekistan with wide experience in heading major industrial and infrastructure projects. The ca. USD 3-billion contract covers design, purchase of equipment and construction of facilities, together with essential infrastructure. Completion is expected in late 2025.

Enter Engineering was selected based on its unique expertise and many years of experience in the oil and gas sector and industrial construction in Central Asia. Uzbekistan GTL, Kandym gas processing complex, a fuel filling complex in Tashkent and other landmark projects are among those which have been implemented by the company.

Masrur Shakirov, General Director of GCC MTO, said:

“The gas chemical complex MTO is being built as part of Uzbekistan’s strategy for deep processing of its own gas and the manufacture of high value-added products. The configuration of the enterprise is quite unique — for the first time, using MTO technology, not only will methanol be produced from methane, but also ethylene and propylene at the same site. An international team of engineers, designers and gas chemical specialists is already working on the project.”

Ulugbek Usmanov, General Director of Enter Engineering, said:

“Building a modern gas chemical complex is a complicated engineering task and it is our honour to accept this challenge. Preparations are already underway and we have mobilized the necessary resources — allocation of own construction equipment and transport, forming teams of specialists, and determining the logistics routes for the delivery of special equipment. At the peak of construction, more than 10,000 construction workers will be on-site.”

Based on a decision of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, the project has been designed in line with international norms and standards. The project is an example of global cooperation between local and foreign specialists using the latest achievements in the oil and gas sector. The list of companies working on the GCC MTO project includes John Wood Group Plc (UK), Topsoe (Denmark), Koch Industries Inc. (USA), Chemtex Global Corp. (USA), Scientific Design (USA), Versalis (Italy), Sinopec (China) and Grace Catalysts Technologies (USA).

The gas chemical complex MTO will become the largest plant of its type in Central Asia, with a capacity of 730,000 tons/year, which will satisfy the local demand for raw materials for the production of goods with high added value. The facility will manufacture four types of products: polypropylene (250,000 t/g), low-density polyethylene (80,000 t/g), ethylene vinyl acetate (100,000 t/g) and polyethylene terephthalate (300,000 t/g). The last three will be produced in the republic for the first time.

Over the past year, a number of major steps have taken place in anticipation of a start to construction.

  • In July, the Uzbekistan Cabinet of Ministers passed a decree authorizing the creation of the Karakul Free Economic Zone, where the core of a new industrial cluster centred on the MTO complex will be developed.

  • The following month a contract was signed with the Italian office of UK-headquartered engineering company John Wood Plc for detailed design of the facility and a procurement plan.

  • In September, public hearings were held in the Karakul, Zhondor and Alat districts and residents were given the opportunity to voice their opinions about the plans.

Innovative MTO (methanol to olefin) technology will allow for the processing of 1.3 bn cm of natural gas specific to Uzbekistan with a lower quality content supplied from fields owned by SANEG, which is the parent company of Gas Chemical Complex MTO Central Asia LLC.

Importantly, the MTO Gas Chemical Complex will provide more than 2,000 direct jobs and more than 10,000 related jobs, due to the multiplier effect. The project will contribute to the development of regional industrial, social, business, logistics, transport and other infrastructure in the Bukhara region and will become a new industrial gas chemical centre not only for Uzbekistan but for the Central Asia region.

Sourse: Press office GCC