Energy Minister talks Astana gas connection, chemical production projects

ASTANA. KAZINFORM During the Government session today, Minister of Energy of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kanat Bozumbayev told about the progress of the Astana household natural gas connection project, Kazinform correspondent reports.

According to Bozumbayev, the Ministry is working on attracting EBRD funds to finance the construction of the Saryarka gas pipeline which is thought to ensure natural gas supply of the city of Astana, as well as the central and northern regions of Kazakhstan.

The minister also spoke about the preparations for the launch of a large-scale production of polypropylene in Kazakhstan.

According to him, the project for the construction of polypropylene producing facility with a capacity of 500 thousand tons with a total worth of $9.6 billion is in its active phase. And this year it is planned to start foundation works and start laying underground engineering networks. The works are scheduled to be completed in 2021.

As for the project of polyethylene production in Kazakhstan, the Minister stressed that one of the world's largest producers of polyethylene and polypropylene, Austria's Borealis AG is interested in its joint implementation.

Thus, in 2018, it is planned to create a joint project company and conduct the feasibility study.

"The implementation of the aforementioned projects will help attract $9 billion in investment, of which 8 will be private investment," said Bozumbayev.

The minister stressed that these projects will also help create up to 10,000 jobs at the construction and 1,200 jobs at the operational stage.