LNG “Turan” regazification complex was launched in the capital of Kazakhstan

The opening ceremony of the first liquefied natural gas regazification complex called “Turan” was held on 8 February 2017 in Astana within ASTANA LNG 2020 Project. The units run on LNG produced by “Gazprom transgaz Ekaterinburg” and the first consumer of Russian methane has been “Nazarbayev University”.

Astana Mayor (Akim) Issekeshev Asset Orentayevich, Vice Minister of Investment and Development of RK Khairov Yerlan Kartayevich, Deputy Director General for Economy and Finance of “Gazprom transgaz Ekaterinburg” Likhovskikh Sergey Viktorovich, Vice President for Innovations of “Nazarbayev University” Autonomous Educational Organisation Baigarin Kanat Abdualiyevich, Director of “Global Gas Regazification” Saulidi Panayot Georgiyevich participated in the opening ceremony of the complex.

Astana mayor (Akim) Asset Issekeshev congratulated all the participants of the project – investors, builders, gas workers – with launching the first station of this kind and underlined it was a special day for both the city and its residents. He said, in particular, that “Turan” LNGRC is of great importance in terms of enhancing the environmental situation:

– We will be able to reduce polluting emissions discharged to the atmosphere. This issue is a priority for us and you already know that the President sets the environmental and health protection issues as the topmost.

Vice President for Innovations of “Nazarbayev University” Autonomous Educational Organisation Baigarin Kanat Abdualiyevich also underlined the importance of enhancing the city’s environmental situation having recalled the statistics of the Soviet Period according to which Astana was considered as the second cleanest city.

Director of “Global Gas Regazification” Saulidi Panayot Georgiyevich expressed a gratitude to all who took active part in building the station, particularly “Gazprom Export”  and “Gazprom transgaz Ekaterinburg” , without which the project would not be implemented:

– Together with our partners and given the active part of the state, we are ready to multiply increase the productivity by building new stations which will allow for gasifying Astana in the nearest 4 years.

– Ambitious target has been set – organizing the transportation of 320 thousand tons of liquefied natural gas to Kazakhstan a year. It is 500 million cubic meters, - the representative of “Gazprom transgaz Eekaterinburg” Sergey Likhovskikh stated in his speech. – Russian LNG will be used both for the city gazification and as a natural gas vehicle fuel for Astana public transport.

It should be noted that the starting point for ASTANA LNG 2020 Project was the Address of the President Nursultan Nazarbayev focused on the general gasification further supported by the decree of the Government of RK on approving the general gasification map of RK. Although the Project started just a year ago, today it can already provide several Astana enterprises with eco-friendly fuel.

“Turan” LNGRC is the first LNG regazification complex launched by a company of the Global Gas Group. The complex capacity is 25 Gcal/hour which allows providing over 500 thousand cubic meters of heated spaces with heat.

So far, over 2 billion tenge have been invested in the Project whereas the total amount of investments will have accounted for nearly 20 billion tenge by 2021. Financing of the Project’s second stage was approved by “DBK-Leasing” JSC, a subsidiary of “Development Bank of Kazakhstan” JSC.

It should be noted that the first contract for supply of low-tonnage LNG by road transport from Russia to Kazakhstan was signed in December 2016 between “Gazprom Export” and Global Gas Regazification being a part of Global Gas Group companies.