Kazakhstan modernizing energy facilities
By Fatma Babayeva
Kazakhstan announced that the modernization works in Shymkent oil refinery and Shardara hydro power plant will be completed by late 2017, Samruk-Kazyna National Welfare Fund announced.
The modernization projects will help Kazakhstan to become more self sufficient and less dependent on energy imports.
The project for the modernization of the Shardara hydro power plant has been implemented by the Samruk-Energy company that is a part of the Samruk-Kazyna group which plays an important role in supplying electricity to southern Kazakhstan.
Modernization of all four hydraulic units in the Shardara hydro power plant will increase the capacity of the plant by 26 percent and improve its productivity and operation safety.
The Shardara plant keeps functioning despite the ongoing modernization works. It produced 465.3 million kilowatt hours of electricity in 2015.
In addition, the modernization of Shymkent oil refinery will also significantly improve the quality of the production in this plant that will be more environmentally friendly.
The modernization of the plant will help to adjust high-octane gasoline production to K5 standard which is equivalent of Euro 5 standard in Customs Union the countries.
Cars working with Euro 4 and Euro 5 fuel are popular in Kazakhstan, thus, the country has to import this type of fuel from Russia and China, since its refineries produce only Euro-2 type of fuel.
The volume of the refined production in Kazakhstan will increase from 5 million tons to 6 million tons per year once the modernization works accomplish.
The refinery will be upgraded in two stages. The first stage envisages the reconstruction of the diesel hydro-treater, construction of a sulfur production which was already been completed, and construction of an isomerization unit.
Construction of an isomerization unit has been started, and it is planned to put it into operation in late 2016.
The second stage of modernization is expected to finish in 2017.
There are three large refineries operating in Kazakhstan -- Atyrau, Shymkent and Pavlodar. At the moment, all three refineries are under modernization and they will ready in 2018.
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Fatma Babayeva is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Fatma_Babayeva
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