Four regions in Kazakhstan are being considered for the construction of the fourth refinery with a capacity up to 10 million tons a year, Kazakh Energy Minister Yerlan Akkenzhenov told a briefing, Qazinform News Agency reports. He revealed the new refinery may be built in Mangistau, Atyrau, Turkistan or Ulytau regions.
The electricity, water, and other infrastructure requirements of potential sites are currently being assessed. The project's feasibility study is being developed by the Samruk-Kazyna Fund. The Minister said the new plant is expected to fully meet domestic demand and tap into export potential.
A final decision regarding the site is expected to be made before the end of the year. It was previously reported that Kazakhstan has begun preparations to build a large-scale oil refining complex, which has the potential to become the hub of a future petrochemical cluster.