ASTANA, Kazakhstan, May 29. An innovative hydrogen production facility will be built in Pavlodar, Kazakhstan, Trend reports via the Ministry of Energy of Kazakhstan.
An investment agreement worth 44.3 billion tenge (approximately $88.6 million) was signed in Kazakhstan for the construction of a high-tech hydrogen production enterprise in the city of Pavlodar.
According to the ministry, the investor in this project is the company "Air Liquide Munay Tech Gases," established in 2016 by KazMunayGas in partnership with the French company "Air Liquide," a global leader in industrial and medical gases.
“The project involves the construction of a plant with a capacity of 12,500 nm³/h per year, with commissioning planned for October 2026. The production process will be based on patented methane steam reforming technology, one of the most efficient worldwide,” the statement says.
A key innovation will be the application of a unique technology for hydrogen production from the butane-butylene fraction, specially developed for the conditions of the Pavlodar region, where there is no access to natural gas. This innovative method was developed by Air Liquide experts at the engineering center in Frankfurt and will be implemented for the first time in the world.
The project holds strategic importance for Kazakhstan’s energy security. It is expected that the start of production will significantly reduce or completely replace imports of winter diesel fuel, which according to the Bureau of National Statistics, amounts to up to 200,000 tons per year.
Air Liquide Munay Tech Gases LLP (ALMTG) has actively developed the industrial gases industry in Kazakhstan for nine years. The total volume of investments implemented by Air Liquide in the country exceeds 120 million euros.
