KMG, Sinopec enter FEED for proposed Atyrau PTA-PET plant

Kazakhstan’s state-owned JSC NC KazMunayGas (KMG) and China Petroleum & Chemical Corp. (Sinopec) are progressing plans to develop a grassroots plant to produce polyethylene terephthalic acid (PTA) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) to be built in Kazakhstan’s western Atyrau region.

As of Aug. 22, a preliminary feasibility study for the PTA-PET project was completed, with KMG and Sinopec now working to move into front-end engineering and design (FEED) for the proposed plant, KMG said in a statement.

While KMG did not immediately reveal a timeframe for anticipated completion of the FEED study, an updated project description on the operator’s website indicated, if approved, construction of the PTA-PET project would begin in 2025-26 and continue until 2029.

If approved, overall required investment to complete the PTA-PET plant is estimated at more than $8 billion, KMG said.

Confirmation of the partners’ transition to FEED work on the proposed development follows an October 2023 agreement between KMG and Sinopec under which the companies agreed to jointly launch the preliminary feasibility study, according to an Oct. 17, 2023, KMG release.

To be operated by KMG subsidiary KMG PetroChem, the proposed plant, once in operation, would be equipped to process 400,000 tpy of paraxylene feedstock received from KMG subsidiary ANPZ LLP’s nearby 5.5-million tonne/year (tpy) Atyrau refinery to produce 735,000 tpy of PET, according to KMG’s latest project description.

KMG’s website showed current technology providers for the project include Koch Engineered Solutions subsidiary Koch Technology Solutions, which will license its proprietary terephthalic acid technology, with Chemtex Global Corp. and Polymetrix AG to deliver technologies for PET production.