GCC MTO, Air Products to build methanol facility in Uzbekistan

Uzbek polymer producer Gas Chemical Complex MTO Central Asia has partnered with Air Products to construct a methanol production facility in the Karakul Free Economic Zone in Uzbekistan's Bukhara region, the company said on May 25.

The facility, part of the methanol-to-olefin (MTO) gas chemical complex, will have a capacity of 1.34mn metric tons/year.

Unlike traditional MTO facilities that use coal, Uzbekistan's GCC MTO complex employs technologies for the deep processing of natural gas with low valuable components into high-value polymer products. The complex will have a production capacity of over 1.11mn mt/yr and will produce polypropylene, low-density polyethylene, ethylene vinyl acetate, polyethylene terephthalate, and high-density polyethylene.

These products are used in various industries such as artificial fibers, electrical engineering, automotive components, pipes, packaging, and synthetic fibers.

By producing these polymers locally, Uzbekistan aims to diversify its economy, reduce imports, and potentially export products to other regions, the company said.

"We are delighted to be working with Air Products, the world's leading industrial gases company, as partners in the complex. Air Products has established itself as a reliable supplier of proven solutions that can guarantee us both the high quality and required volume of products we need. Air Products' investments highlight the degree of interest shown by international companies in Uzbekistan's industrial development opportunities,” Masrur Shakirov, the general director of the Gas Chemical Complex MTO, said.

The methanol Island facilities will include a hydrogen unit and an air separation unit for the production of hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen. Additionally, a methanol unit will be established for the synthesis gas (syngas) production and its conversion into methanol, utilising Topsoe technology.