Kazakhstan selects EPC contractor for butadiene projectKazakhstan has initiated the selection process for an EPC contractor to build a petrochemical complex that will produce butadiene in the Atyrau region, according to Deputy Minister of Energy Kaiyrkhan Tutkyshbayev."The project for the production of butadiene and its derivatives is currently in the design phase. We are now selecting an EPC contractor for the first production train," Tutkyshbayev said on Tuesday during a government meeting.The butadiene project, valued at about $1 billion, envisages construction of a petrochemical complex in the Atyrau region to produce butadiene and related products. It has been positioned as a key initiative for developing high-value-added petrochemical production.Initially, since November 2021, the project had been carried out by a joint venture created by Tatneft (75%) and the Kazakh side (25%). Construction had been scheduled to begin in the first half of 2026, with commissioning planned for December 2028.The planned production capacity exceeded 300,000 tonnes of butadiene and its derivatives per year, including synthetic rubbers. Output was intended for supply to the tire plant of KamaTyresKz LLP, a joint venture between Tatneft and Allur, located in the town of Saran, the Karaganda region in central Kazakhstan.According to the Kazakh government, the project was expected to produce annually 60,000 tonnes of divinyl-styrene synthetic rubber for the rubber and tire industries, 40,000 tonnes of styrene-butadiene-styrene rubber used in road construction and plastics, and 40,000 tonnes of methyl tert-butyl ether for high-octane gasoline production.Butadiene LLP was established in November 2021 by Tatneft (75%) and KazMunayGas (25%) as the operator of the project. In June 2023, KazMunayGas transferred its stake to Kazakhstan’s Sovereign Wealth Fund Samruk-Kazyna.U.S.-based Lummus Technology was selected as the licensor for the plant, providing technology rights and basic engineering for four process units. Feedstock was to be supplied from the Tengiz and Korolyov fields, western Kazakhstan.Samruk-Kazyna Ondeu confirmed earlier this week the withdrawal of Russia’s Tatneft from the butadiene project. Butadiene LLP is now owned by the subsidiaries of Samruk-Kazyna JSC - Samruk-Kazyna Ondeu LLP with a 99.999% stake and SSAP LLP with 0.001%. “The changes to the ownership structure were registered on January 30, 2026 in accordance with Kazakhstan’s legislation,” the company told Interfax-Kazakhstan.Samruk-Kazyna Ondeu said that Butadiene LLP remains the operator of the project, which is being implemented according to the schedule.Samruk-Kazyna Ondeu is a subsidiary of Sovereign Wealth Fund Samruk-Kazyna, focusing on chemical industry projects.SSAP LLP is sulfuric acid plant, in which Samruk-Kazyna Ondeu holds a 90.11% stake and National Atomic Company Kazatomprom JSC owns 9.89%. The plant is located in the town of Stepnogorsk, the Akmola region in central Kazakhstan. (ICE ALMATY)

Fonte notizia: INTERFAX