The operator of MTO Gas Chemical Complex, the largest polymer production facility in Central Asia, assigned Enter Engineering Pte Ltd as the project EPC contractor.

The innovative polymer production facility becomes an anchor resident in the newly created Karakul Free Economic Zone in the Bukhara region. The MTO Gas Chemical Complex (MTO GCC) is fully owned by Sanoat Energetika Guruhi LLC (SANEG), one of the largest oil and gas companies in Uzbekistan.

The $3 billion contract includes the design, equipment procurement, construction of the facilities, and the necessary infrastructure. Completion is estimated for 2025.

MTO GCC decided to assign Enter Engineering due to its unique expertise and years of experience in the oil and gas sector and industrial construction in Central Asia.

CEO of the MTO Gas Chemical Complex Central Asia LLC Masrur Shakirov stated:

"MTO Gas Chemical Complex is a part of the Republic of Uzbekistan's strategy for deep gas processing and creating of high added value production. 

 We are going to produce not only methanol from natural gas methane but also ethylene and propylene based on the MTO technology. This enterprise's configuration is first and unique in the field.

The project is being supervised by an international team of engineers, designers, and gas chemical specialists."

CEO of Enter Engineering Ulugbek Usmanov said: 

"Enter Engineering is honored to cope with such a challenging task as to  build a modern gas chemical complex. 

To resolve this task timely, we allocate our own construction machinery and transport, form specialists teams, determine logistic ways of special equipment delivery. At the construction rush moment we will have more than 10 000 builders working on the site."

According to the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan decision the MTO GCC is designed following the modern international rules and standards. This project is an example of local and foreign specialists global cooperation based on the advanced achievements in the oil and gas industry. 

Over the project are working: John Wood Group (UK), Topsoe (Denmark), Koch Industries Inc. (USA), Chemtex Global Corp. (USA), Scientific Design (USA), Versalis (Italy), Sinopec (China) and Grace Catalysts Technologies (USA). 

The MTO Gas Chemical Complex will be the largest plant of its kind in Central Asia, producing 730,000 tons of polymer products a year that will cover local demand for raw materials for high value-added products production. The plant will produce four types of products: polypropylene (250,000 tons/year), low density polyethylene (80,000 tons/year), ethylene vinyl acetate (100,000 tons/year) and polyethylene terephthalate (300,000 tons/year). Low density polyethylene, ethylene vinyl acetate and polyethylene terephthalate will be produced for the first time in Uzbekistan. 

For the construction start company took some important steps: 

- In August, the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Uzbekistan adopted a resolution on the establishment of the Karakul free economic zone, a new industrial cluster with MTO complex in the centre;

- The same month a contract was signed with Italian engineering company John Wood Goup for detailed design of the facility and implementation of the procurement plan;

- In September, public hearings on the environmental and social impact of the project were held in the Karakul, Zhondor and Alat districts, where residents stated their opinions.

The innovative MTO (Methanol To Olefin) technology will allow the processing of 1.3 billion m3 of Uzbekistan-specific natural gas with low content of valuable components, which will be delivered from the fields managed by SANEG.

Importantly, the MTO Gas Chemical Complex will provide over 2,000 direct jobs and more than 10,000 related jobs via a multiplier effect. The project will contribute to the development of regional production, social, business, logistics, transport and other infrastructure in Bukhara region and will become a new industrial gas-chemical center not only of Uzbekistan, but also of all Central Asia.