KazMunayGas, Axens to explore sustainable aviation fuel production in Kazakhstan

ASTANA. Nov 5 (Interfax) - KazMunayGas (KMG) and Axens have agreed to explore the possibility of producing sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) in Kazakhstan, KMG's press service reported on Monday.

The document was signed during Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev's state visit to France.

According to the press release, a pre-feasibility study for the project to build an SAF production complex in Kazakhstan has already been carried out with the participation of KMG's subsidiary KazMunayGas - Aero LLP and the national carrier Air Astana.

"The next stage will be the development of a [bankable] feasibility study for the project," the national oil and gas company said.

This is not the first partnership between KMG and Axens. It was previously reported that the international company would become a partner of KMG in the project to build the first integrated gas chemical complex using AlphaButol technology. The design capacity of the gas chemical complex is 1.25 million tonnes of polyethylene per year. The plant will be built in the special economic zone in the Atyrau region.

KMG is Kazakhstan's national operator for the exploration, production, processing and transportation of hydrocarbons and represents the state's interests in the oil and gas industry.

Axens is an international group headquartered in France that offers a complete range of solutions for the conversion of oil and biomass into cleaner fuels, the production and refining of key petrochemical intermediate products, the chemical processing of plastics, the processing and conversion of natural gas, as well as hydrogen transportation, water treatment and carbon capture.