BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 25. Kazakhstan's Shymkent Oil Refinery is set to undergo a comprehensive modernization by 2030, enabling it to triple its current annual output of 313,000 tons to 1 million tons, Chairman of the Board of KazMunayGas, Magzum Myrzagaliev said during the 1st Kazakhstan Aviation Talks forum, Trend reports.
"As part of our efforts to meet the growing demands of Kazakhstan, we are considering expanding the Shymkent Refinery from its current capacity of 6 million tons to 12 million tons of processed crude oil by 2030. In terms of jet fuel, such an expansion will allow us to increase its production threefold, from 313,000 tons to 1 million tons per year. We believe this will be sufficient to fully meet the needs of our aviation sector," he said.
Myrzagaliev further emphasized that this expansion would entirely fulfill the fuel requirements of domestic Kazakh airlines, while foreign carriers and transit airlines would continue to procure jet fuel on the open market, including imports from abroad.
"Last year, we achieved a record production volume of 666,000 tons while consumption reached 829,000 tons. This year, production is expected to exceed 600,000 tons with a projected demand of 900,000 tons. Consequently, import dependence will persist," noted the head of KazMunayGas.
Furthermore, the chairman also noted the annual growth in aviation fuel consumption in Kazakhstan due to the increasing number of transit flights, the establishment of new routes, and the expansion of the aircraft fleet.