Atyrau polypropylene plant to be launched in Kazakhstan in Aug - KazMunayGas

NUR-SULTAN. July 11 (Interfax) - The Atyrau polypropylene plant has completed the first stage of start-up and commissioning.

"The plant has begun supplying propane to processing units. This week, the company is embarking on the second stage of commissioning - loading the catalyst agent into the propane dehydrogenation reactor. The plant is scheduled to begin production in August," KazMunayGas said.

Tengizchevroil LLP is the plant's gas supplier. The plant has a design capacity of 500,000 tonnes of polypropylene per year. Initially, the plant will produce 11 types of polypropylene, which will later be increased to 65. The new plant will not only meet domestic demand for polypropylene, but will also export the product.

The operator of the construction project is Kazakhstan Petrochemical Industries Inc. LLP, which is owned by National Wealth Fund Samruk-Kazyna.

Work on the project, including the search for contractors and funding, began in 2010. Stage I of the polypropylene plant, which cost $2.6 billion, began at the end of 2017. Stage II, which includes the production of polyethylene and butadiene, is estimated to cost $6.5 billion.