Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- The Government of the Republic of Uzbekistan has determined the transition to the production of high-octane Euro 5 gasoline and the abandonment of Euro 2 class AI80 gasoline through the implementation of the Bukhara Oil Refinery modernization project. 

The project envisages the production of high-octane gasoline AI-92 and AI-95 in volumes of 60% and 40%, respectively. Moreover, all gasoline produced in a volume of over 1.0 million tons per year will correspond to the Euro-5 environmental class, which in turn will make it possible to abandon the production of Euro 2 class AI80. It is expected that the project will be implemented in the period 2024-2025 in “Fast-Track” mode with parallel design and construction.

In order to implement the project, cooperation has been established with the technology licensor company Axens (France) to design process units. The technological configuration of the project stipulates the construction of a new naphtha hydrotreating unit with a capacity of 360 thousand tons per year, an isomerization unit with a capacity of 380 thousand tons per year, and a selective hydrogenation unit for pyrolysis distillate with a capacity of 60.0 thousand tons per year.

For parallel design, agreements were reached with the technology licensor, Axens, under a License Agreement for the use of the Licensor’s technologies, including personnel training and an Agreement for the development of a package of design documentation for the Licensor.

As part of the agreements reached, the sides signed agreement.

In order to implement the agreements reached, Axens and Uzbekneftegaz JSC with the participation of a potential general contractor in the period from 24 to 26 April 2024. a kick-off meeting was held, which in turn marks the beginning of the process plant design process. In this case, the development period for the Licensor’s project documentation will take 5.5 months from the date of the kick-off meeting.