Baku, Azerbaijan, July 25
By Leman Zeynalova – Trend:
The new catalytic cracking unit of Shymkent oil refinery of Kazakhstan has accepted the first batch of raw materials, the message posted on the website of the Development Bank of Kazakhstan (DBK) says.
As noted, currently this installation is being tested, and the obtaining of the first trial products-gasoline, liquefied gas and light gas oil by mid-August is expected there.
"The RFCC catalytic cracking plant is the second stage of the refinery modernization project and is the most difficult stage in terms of technology. Processing of raw materials at this plant marks the completion of the whole modernization and reconstruction of the entire refinery. The project of modernization and reconstruction of Shymkent refinery is implemented in two stages. At the first stage, the enterprise established the production of gasoline and diesel fuel of environmental classes of K4 and K5 (analogues of Euro-4 and Euro-5), adopted in the countries of the Customs Union. Now, the refinery has concentrated its efforts on increasing the capacity. The refinery should process up to six million tons of oil according to the goal of the second stage," Serik Akhmetov, senior banker of the Directorate for work with clients of DBK said.
The catalytic cracking unit – the so-called "heart" of the Shymkent refinery-is designed to process up to two million tons of raw materials per year. And in general, the capacity of the refinery will increase to six million tons as a result of the work of this plant.
"This plant makes it possible to increase the depth of processing. We recycle fuel oil, heavy oil residues and get high-quality fuel, diesel, gasoline that meet the standards of K-4, K-5. We improved our position for quality last year. Having completed all the work by the end of September, we plan to raise the quantitative indicators. The manufactured products will be better both in quantity and quality," said Bolat Abdualiev, Head of the Catalytic Cracking Complex of RFCC “PetroKazakhstan Oil Products” LLP company.
The first batch of high-quality fuel is expected to be obtained from this plant at the enterprise ahead of schedule-in August.
Shymkent oil refinery, built in 1985, is the latest refinery in the country. This refinery manufactures 30 percent of the total volume of oil products manufactured by the three refineries of Kazakhstan.
The project of modernization of the Shymkent refinery was started in 2011 as part of the New Industrialization Program. the Development Bank of Kazakhstan opened last year a credit line in the amount of $932 million for the period of 13 years in order to complete implementation of these goals.
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