BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 15
By Ilkin Seyfaddini - Trend:
Chairman of Uzbekneftegaz JSC, Mehriddin Abdullaev held a vide call with the President of Hyundai Engineering Co., Ltd. (South Korea) Kim Jong-Hak, on May 14, 2020, Trend reports with reference to Uzbekneftegaz.
During the meeting, the sides discussed progress of the project on construction of GTL plant in Kashkadarya region.
The parties noted the need to make joint efforts to complete the construction of the plant in due time, the message said.
Also, Mehriddin Abdullayev emphasized the measures taken by Hyundai Engineering for timely and full fulfillment of their obligations within the GTL project, despite the coronavirus.
Following the meeting, the parties reached an agreement to continue the implementation of joint projects.
Hyundai Engineering Co., Ltd is one of the general contractors of the project on production of synthetic liquid fuel based on Gas-To-Liquid (GTL) technology in Kashkadarya region.
The total cost of the project is $3.6 billion, of which $2.3 billion is allocated by a consortium of international financial institutions, $740 million - by Uzbekistan Reconstruction and Development Fund, and $570 million - by Uzbekneftegaz’s own funds.
The completion of construction and installation work is scheduled for December 2020.
GTL technology is attractive in that it allows getting high-quality, sulfur-free motor fuels.
The GTL process itself is divided into:
- production of synthesis gas (H2 + CO) from natural gas purified from sulfur by steam conversion, autothermal reforming or partial oxidation,
- conversion of synthesis gas into a mixture of liquid hydrocarbons (Fischer-Tropsch synthesis),
- hydrocracking to produce synthetic motor fuels, base oils and other products.
In the GTL process, instead of the Fischer-Tropsch process, methanol can be obtained from synthesis gas, which is then converted to gasoline hydrocarbons on zeolite catalysts.
The raw material for the production of fuel at the Uzbekistan GTL plant is purified methane from the Shurtan Gas Chemical Complex (GCC).
The production capacity of the plant located in the north of Uzbekistan will be 1.3 million tons of oil products (diesel fuel, kerosene, gasoline fraction and liquefied petroleum gas).
It is planned that the company will process 3.6 billion cubic meters of gas and produce 1.5 million tons of synthetic liquid fuel of Euro-5 standard per year.
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